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April 4, 2006
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Fourth-year shortstop Sara Larquier (Burbank, Calif.) smacked a pair of home runs and tallied five hits to become the Cavaliers’ all-time total bases leader in the Virginia softball team’s doubleheader split with Liberty Tuesday (Apr. 4) at the Liberty Softball Field. UVa dropped the first game to the Lady Flames 5-2, but rebounded with a 13-3 five-inning victory in the nightcap. The Cavaliers’ 13 runs on 18 hits in the second game are both season highs. Virginia now stands at 19-16 and the Lady Flames are 25-12.
Larquier tied UVa’s career total bases record with a single and a home run in the first game. She broke Kristen Dennis’ school mark of 414 total bases with a single to shortstop in the first inning of the second game and then added a second home run on the day as well as another single to increase her career total bases to 420.
In the first game, Liberty jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead with four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Beth Bennett drove in the first run with a single through the left side of the infield and Ashley Williams capped off the inning with a three-run homer to left center. The Lady Flames’ Sarah Swor made the score 5-0 with a solo home run to center field in the sixth.
The Cavaliers got on the scoreboard in the top of the seventh inning when Larquier led off with a solo home run to right center, which tied UVa’s total bases record. UVa made it 5-2 when fourth-year center fielder Jessica Taylor (Philadelphia, Pa.) scored on a Liberty throwing error. Taylor, who singled to reach base, was going from first to third on fourth-year left fielder Erin Horn’s (Tallahassee, Fla.) single to left field when the error occurred.
Second-year Karla Wilburn (Del Mar. Calif.) fell to 6-7 with the loss in the circle. Wilburn was unable to retire any of the four batters she faced, allowing four runs on three hits and a walk. Third-year Coty Tolar (Marietta, Ga.) pitched the final six innings and allowed one run on three hits with three strikeouts and one walk. Terra Lowe (9-5) went the distance in the circle to pick up the win. She allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits with five strikeouts.
UVa erupted for 13 runs and 18 hits in five innings in the second game as all nine starters had at least one hit with six players registering two or more base hits. Larquier, Horn and second-year first baseman Whitney Holstun (Escondido, Calif.) each had three hits in the nightcap. Larquier, Holstun, third-year second baseman Elea Crockett (Tucson, Ariz.), and second-year designated player Lindsey Preuss (La Plata, Md.) all drove in three runs.
Liberty scored the first run of the second game on Dawn Jeffs’ home run in the first inning. The Cavaliers plated nine runs in the top of the third to take a commanding 9-1 lead. Larquier started the rally and put UVa ahead for good with a two-run homer to right center. Holstun plated two runs with a single up the middle to make the score 4-1. Crockett then delivered a bases-loaded triple to right center to increase UVa’s lead to 7-1. Larquier picked up her third RBI of the inning with a single up the middle and then scored the ninth run of the frame by stealing home on a double steal with third-year catcher Michelle Salmiery (San Jose, Calif.). In the fourth, Preuss made the score 10-1 with a three-run double down the right field line. UVa closed out its scoring with a single tally in the fifth inning on Holstun’s RBI single. Liberty made the final score 13-3 on Jessica Moore’s two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth.
Horn went the distance in the circle for Virginia to improve to 7-6 on the season. In five innings, she allowed three runs on four hits with 12 strikeouts and three walks. Swor took the loss for Liberty and fell to 9-5. In 2.1 innings, Swor allowed five runs on six hits with one walk. Sarah Ellis pitched the final 2.2 innings and gave up eight runs on 12 hits with one walk and one strikeout.
Virginia returns to action this weekend when it hosts Florida State for a three-game series at The Park. A doubleheader will be played on Saturday (Apr. 8) beginning at 1:00 p.m., followed by a single game on Sunday (Apr. 9) at 1:00 p.m.