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Virginia Softball Falls To Third-Ranked Arizona
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Feb. 17, 2007
TUCSON, Ariz. – Third-ranked Arizona used four home runs to post a 12-3 six-inning victory over the Virginia softball team Saturday (Feb. 17) in the Worth Wildcat Invitational at Hillenbrand Stadium. With the loss, the Cavaliers finish round-robin play with a 2-2 record and will play Middle Tennessee State in the consolation game of the tournament at noon (ET) Sunday (Feb. 18). UVa now stands at 5-4 on the season, while Arizona, the 2006 national champions improve to 6-2 overall.
Arizona took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning on Callista Balko’s two-run homer to center field. Kristie Fox increased the Wildcats’ lead to 4-0 with a two-run homer to center.
The Cavaliers threatened in the top of the fourth, but couldn’t push a run across the plate. With one out, first-year first baseman Kelly Haller (Leesburg, Va.) drew and walk. First-year shortstop Abby Snyder (Cantonment, Fla.) singled through the left side of the infield to move third-year Casey Steffan (Long Valley, N.J.), who was pinch running for Haller, to second base. Arizona got out of the inning with a fly out to center field and a ground out.
Arizona tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the third to take a 6-0 lead. Balko led off with a walk and moved to third via a pair of sacrifices. UVa intentionally walked Caitlin Lowe and she immediately broke for second base with Balko taking home for a successful double steal. Lowe then scored on K’Lee Arredondo’s single to right field.
UVa put three runs on the scoreboard in the fifth inning. Second-year pitcher Karla Wilburn (Del Mar, Calif.) drew a one-out walk. Third-year Whitney Holstun (Escondido, Calif.), who pinch ran for Wilburn, moved to second on fourth-year third baseman Meghan O’Leary’s (Baton Rouge, La.) infield single. First-year left fielder Nicole Koren (Warminster, Pa.) drew a walk to load the bases. Fourth-year second baseman Elea Crockett (Tucson, Ariz.) delivered a clutch two-run single up the middle that plated Holstun and O’Leary. Haller followed with single through the right side of the infield that plated Koren to make the score 6-3.
The Wildcats closed out the game with six runs in the sixth inning, including a pair of two-run homers. Jenae Leles hit a two-run homer to right and Balko ended the contest with a two-run shot to left to make the final score 12-3.
Second-year Karla Wilburn (Del Mar, Calif.) suffered the loss in the circle to fall to 3-3 on the season. She gave up 12 runs on 12 hits with three strikeouts and six walks in the complete-game effort. Taryne Mowatt (4-2) went the distance in the circle for Arizona. She allowed three runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and three walks.