Virginia Softball Posts 6-5 Win Over James Madison
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March 28, 2007
HARRISONBURG, Va. – Fourth-year catcher Michelle Salmiery (San Jose, Calif.) and first-year right fielder Sarah Tacke (Merced, Calif.) both went 3-4 to lead the Virginia softball team to a 6-5 victory over James Madison Wednesday (March 28) at the JMU Softball Complex. The second game was called with the score tied at 1-1 after the Cavaliers batted in the top of the fourth inning. The game will not be made up. With the win in the first game, UVa improves to 11-22 on the season, while the Dukes fall to 16-12.
James Madison jumped out to an early lead by scoring two runs in the bottom of the second inning. Amber Kirk was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. She moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Courtney Simons’ double to center field. Brittney Dyson then plated Simons with a double to right center.
The Cavaliers took advantage of three James Madison errors to score four unearned runs in the top of the fourth inning. Third-year left fielder Casey Steffan (Long Valley, N.J.) reached on an error by JMU’s second baseman to lead off the fourth inning. Steffan moved to second on first-year right fielder Sarah Tacke’s (Merced, Calif.) single that fell between the shortstop and left fielder. A wild pitch moved both runners up and Steffan scored on second-year shortstop Kierstie Cameron’s (Pinon Hills, Calif.) grounder to third that was misplayed for the Dukes’ second error of the inning. Fourth-year catcher Michelle Salmiery (San Jose, Calif.) followed with a double to center field to bring home Tacke and move Cameron to third. With two outs, fourth-year designated player Brooke Sorber (Alexandria, Va.) hit a popup to shallow center field, but two James Madison fielders collided while trying to make the play resulting in an error which allowed Cameron and Salmiery to score to make the score 4-2. UVa added two more runs in the fifth to extend its lead to 6-2. First-year first baseman Kelly Haller (Leesburg, Va.) led off with a single off the pitchers’ glove. With one out, first-year third baseman Abby Snyder (Cantonment, Fla.) was hit by a pitch, moving Haller to second. First-year right fielder Sarah Tacke (Merced, Calif.) followed with a single to right center that scored Haller. The center fielder misplayed the ball which allowed Snyder and Tacke to move up a base. Cameron followed with a single down the right field line that scored Snyder from third to make the score 6-2.
James Madison got two runs back in the bottom of the sixth. Kirk led off with a single to center and moved to third on Kaitlyn Wernsing’s double to left. Both runners scored on Dyson’s double down the left field line. JMU closed the deficit to 6-5 with a run in the seventh. Katie George led off with a double and moved to third on a wild pitch. George scored on Kirk’s two-out single through the left side of the infield.
Fourth-year pitcher Coty Tolar (Marietta, Ga.) registered the complete-game win in the circle to improve to 5-7 in the circle. It was her second complete game of the season. Tolar allowed five runs on nine hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Branden Moss (3-4) took the loss for James Madison. In 4.1 innings of work, Moss gave up six runs, only one of which was earned, on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Jenny Clohan pitched the final 2.2 innings and allowed four hits while striking out one.
In addition to Salmiery and Tacke, Haller was the third Cavalier with multiple hits in the game. She was 2-3 with a run scored, while Cameron drove in a pair of runs while going 1-3.
In the second game, James Madison took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Clohan drew a bases loaded walk. The Cavaliers came back to tie the game at 1-1 in the fourth inning. Fourth-year second baseman Elea Crockett (Tucson, Ariz.) led off with a hustle double to left center and eventually scored on Tacke’s fielder’s choice grounder. The game was called right after UVa tied the score in the fourth inning.
The Cavaliers return to action this weekend when they host Boston College in a three-game series at The Park. Virginia plays a doubleheader against the Eagles on Saturday (March 31) beginning at 1 p.m. The series concludes with a single game on Sunday (April 1) at 1 p.m.