Story Links
April 1, 2006
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Fourth-year shortstop Sara Larquier (Burbank, Calif.) became the Atlantic Coast Conference’s all-time RBI leader, but it was the only highlight for the Virginia softball team, as the Cavaliers dropped a pair of conference games to 23rd-ranked North Carolina Saturday (Apr. 1) at The Park. The Tar Heels prevailed 3-1 in a 12-inning marathon in the opener and then took the nightcap 13-2. UVa fell to 18-14 overall and 2-6 in the ACC with the two losses, while UNC improves to 32-10 overall and 6-2 in the league.
Larquier established a new ACC RBI record when she hit a two-run homer in the second game against North Carolina for the 172nd and 173rd RBI of her career. Anne Knobbe, who played for Georgia Tech from 1997-00, held the former mark with 172 RBI. Larquier’s homer also extended her own UVa home run record to 31.
In the first game, the Cavaliers broke up a scoreless game with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Third-year catcher Michelle Salmiery (San Jose, Calif.) led off the sixth with a double down the left field line and second-year Kat Mirras (Montauk, N.Y.) pinch ran for her. Fourth-year left fielder Erin Horn (Tallahassee, Fla.) followed with a single to left to score Mirras with the first run of the game. North Carolina answered with a run in the top of the sixth to tie the game. Jennifer Jacobs led off the sixth with a single to center field and moved to second on Lisa Norris’ bunt single. Marissa May, who pinch ran for Jacobs, came around to score on Breanna Brown’s single up the middle.
The game remained knotted at 1-1 until the top of the 12th inning when the Tar Heels pushed a pair of runs across the plate. Ashley Oxendine singled to shortstop with one out and Casey Testa followed with single through the left side of the infield. Jacobs broke the tie with a RBI single down the right field line. After a fielder’s choice groundout, Anna Evans singled to right field to make the score 3-1.
Crystal Cox went all 12 innings to register the victory and improve to 15-5 on the season. Cox limited the Cavaliers to one run on four hits and struck out 15 while walking two. Horn took the loss after pitching 6.2 innings in relief. She allowed three runs on 10 hits with eight strikeouts and one walk. Second-year Karla Wilburn (Del Mar, Calif.) pitched the first two innings and also recorded the final out in the 12th inning. Wilburn gave up one hit and struck out two. First-year Madi Gore (Acworth, Ga.) struck out all three batters she faced in the third. Third-year Coty Tolar (Marietta, Ga.) pitched the fourth and fifth innings and gave up one hit and struck out one. The four UVa pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts with only one walk.
In the second game, UVa jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second, but it was all North Carolina from there. Larquier staked the Cavaliers to a 2-0 lead with her 31st career home run. Larquier’s blast to left center helped her set the ACC career RBI mark with 173. Third-year second baseman Elea Crockett (Tucson, Ariz.) singled to right before scoring on Larquier’s home run.
The Tar Heels came right back and scored four runs in the top of the second to take a 4-2 lead. Whitney Gelin tied the game with a two-run double to center field. Cassie Palmer drove in the other two runs in the second with a two-run triple down the right field line. Jacobs made the score 6-2 with a two-run double in the fifth. The Tar Heels put the game out of reach on pinch hitter Emily Troup’s three-run double to left field that made the score 9-2. Gelin’s three-run homer in the seventh highlighted a four-run ninth that made the final score 13-2.
Gore (4-2) suffered the loss in the circle as she allowed two runs on one hit in one-third of an inning of work. Wilburn pitched a total of 2.1 innings in two stints in the circle and allowed six runs (five earned) on five hits with two walks. Tolar went 4.1 innings and was charged with five runs (four earned) on seven hits with three strikeouts and a walk. Lisa Norris picked up the win for UNC with four innings of scoreless relief. Norris (11-3) gave up five hits and a walk while striking out four. Amber Johnson pitched the first three innings and gave up two runs on two hits and struck out four.
Virginia’s series with North Carolina concludes Sunday (Apr. 2) with a 1:00 p.m. game at The Park.