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April 18, 2006
FARMVILLE, Va. – Second-year designated player Whitney Holstun (Escondido, Calif.) had a pair of two-out RBI singles, including the game-winning hit in the nightcap to help the Virginia softball team split a doubleheader with Longwood Tuesday (Apr. 18) at Lancer Field. UVa dropped the opener 8-0 in five innings, but bounced back with a 5-4 eight-inning victory in the second game. The Cavaliers now stand at 25-19 overall, while Longwood is 23-19.
In the first game, Longwood exploded for five runs in the bottom of the second inning on just three hits. Tori Flint got things going with a three-run homer to left field. Caitlin Hooe made the score 4-0 with a RBI double to center and Ryan Washington plated the fifth run with a single to right field. The Lancers ended the first game by scoring three runs in the fifth to make the score 8-0. Ryan Washington led off the inning with a triple and scored on Kristina Garrison’s fielder’s choice grounder. After back-to-back singles, Mallory Gordon invoked the eight-run rule with a two-run double to left center.
Fourth-year Erin Horn (Tallahassee, Fla.) took the loss in the circle. She pitched the first 1.1 innings and allowed four runs on one hit with three walks. Horn set a school record with her 136th career pitching appearance. Lisa Palmer held the previous mark with 135 appearances from 1986-89. Second-year Karla Wilburn (Del Mar, Calif.) entered the game in the second and pitched 2.1 innings, allowing one run on two hits with one strikeout. First-year Madi Gore (Acworth, Ga.) came into the game in the fourth and went two-thirds of an inning and allowed three runs on four hits. Rachel Mills improved to 18-15 with the complete-game shutout. She allowed five hits while striking out one.
In the second game, UVa took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first with an unearned run. Third-year second baseman Elea Crockett (Tucson. Ariz.) led off with a single to left. She moved to second on fourth-year center fielder Jessica Taylor’s (Philadelphia, Pa.) sacrifice bunt. Crockett eventually scored when Longwood’s third baseman committed a fielding error on second-year left fielder Lindsey Preuss’ (La Plata, Md.) two-out grounder. The Lancers responded with four runs on four hits in the bottom half of the opening frame. Longwood loaded the bases with one out and Pepper Wilson drove in all three runs with a triple to left center. Wilson scored on Emily Radford’s single to right to make the score 4-1. Fourth-year shortstop Sara Larquier (Burbank, Calif.) made the score 4-2 with a solo home run to left center in the second. The Cavaliers tied the game at 4-4 with two runs in the sixth. Preuss led off with a single to right and stole second. She moved to third on third-year catcher Michelle Salmiery’s (San Jose, Calif.) sacrifice. After a groundout, Larquier drew a walk. Holstun came up with the first of her two clutch base hits with a safety off the pitcher’s glove, which allowed Preuss to score. Larquier moved from first to third on the RBI single. Larquier and Holstun then worked a perfect double steal with Larquier crossing home plate with the tying run.
The game was decided in the eighth with the use of the international tie-breaker. Fourth-year Jackie Greer (Portage, Mich.) was placed on second to start the inning. She moved to third on third-year first baseman Brooke Sorber’s (Alexandria, Va.) sacrifice. With two outs, Holstun brought Greer home with the go-head run by hitting a single up the middle.
After giving up four runs in the first inning, third-year Coty Tolar (Marietta, Ga.) settled down and shut out the Lancers over the final seven innings. Tolar allowed four runs on 10 hits with two walks and six strikeouts while improving to 4-2 on the season. Tolar got out of tough jams in the final three innings. The Lancers loaded the bases with one out in the sixth and Tolar got a strikeout and a groundout to short to end that threat. Longwood had the winning run on second with one out in the seventh, but Tolar was able to induce a nifty 5-6-3 double play with Larquier recording the putout at third and then throwing to first to complete the double play. Tolar nailed down the victory by getting the final two Lancers with the tying run at third base in the eighth. Mills (18-16) took the loss after pitching six innings in relief of starter Denee Porter. Mills gave up three runs (two earned) on five hits with two walks and a strikeout. Porter pitched two innings and gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits.
Crockett, Preuss, Larquier and Holstun each had two hits in the second game for UVa, while Crockett and Preuss also registered a hit in the first game.
Virginia returns to action Apr. 22-23 when it hosts NC State in a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series at The Park. The series starts with a doubleheader at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday (Apr. 22).