Virginia Softball Falls To Western Kentucky 5-2
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Feb. 10, 2007
TAMPA, Fla. – The Virginia softball team lost to Western Kentucky 5-2 in the Best Western Invitational Saturday evening (Feb. 10) at the USF Softball Field. With loss, the Cavaliers drop to the consolation game Sunday (Feb. 11) at 10 a.m. where they will face Arkansas. Earlier in the day, UVa lost to host and 22nd-ranked South Florida 4-2. Virginia now stands at 2-2 on the season.
Western Kentucky put three runs on the board in the top of the third inning on a three-run double by Rebecca Horesky.
The Cavaliers got a run back in the top half of the third. With one out, fourth-year second baseman Elea Crockett (Tucson, Ariz.) hit a triple to center field and then scored on a two-out single through the left side of the infield by first-year first baseman Kelly Haller (Leesburg, Va.).
The Hilltoppers made the score 4-1 with a run in the fifth inning. Sam Cronk drew a walk to lead off the inning and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Ashley Contreras brought Cronk home with a double down the right field line. UVa pulled within 4-2 in the bottom of the fifth. Fourth-year catcher Michelle Salmiery (San Jose, Calif.) hit a one-out single to right center. Third-year Casey Steffan (Long Valley, N.J.), who pinch ran for Salmiery, moved to second on Crockett’s hard groundout to the pitcher. Fourth-year Brooke Sorber (Alexandria, Va.), who was pinch hitting for fourth-year third baseman Meghan O’Leary’s (Baton Rouge, La.), laced a single to left field that scored Steffan from second base to make the score 4-2. The Cavaliers went on to load the bases with back-to-back walks to Haller and fourth-year designated player Amy McKean (Kent, Wash.), but Western Kentucky got out of the jam by inducing a pop up to second base.
Western Kentucky (2-2) answered UVa’s run with one of their own in the top of the seventh to take a 5-2 lead. Alana Towns hit a one-out infield single and then scored on Contreras’ third hit and second double of the game.
Second-year Karla Wilburn (Del Mar, Calif.) started in the circle and suffered the loss to fall to 1-2 on the season. She pitched the first 3.2 innings and allowed three runs on five hits with one walk and one strikeout. Fourth-year Coty Tolar (Marietta, Ga.) went the rest of the way and allowed two runs on three hits with two walks in 3.1 innings.
The Hilltoppers’ Jennifer Kempf went the distance in the circle and improved to 1-1 on the season. She limited the Cavaliers to two runs on five hits with four strikeouts and three walks.