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Holstun Picks Up Two Wins As Virginia Softball Sweeps Towson
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April 3, 2007
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia softball team used a pair of sixth inning rallies to sweep a doubleheader from Towson Tuesday (April 3) at The Park. The Cavaliers won the opener 5-3 by scoring three runs in the sixth inning and then tallied all four of their runs in the sixth inning of the nightcap to notch a 4-2 victory. Third-year Whitney Holstun (Escondido, Calif.) picked up both wins in relief with 5.1 innings of shutout ball. UVa improves to 14-24 with the two wins, while Towson falls to 15-17.
In the first game, the Cavaliers got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning with a pair of unearned runs. Third-year left fielder Casey Steffan (Long Valley, N.J.) led off with a single to left center. She was forced out at second on fourth-year center fielder Meghan O’Leary (Baton Rouge, La.) fielder’s choice grounder. O’Leary moved to second on a bunt single by fourth-year second baseman Elea Crockett (Tucson, Ariz.). UVa loaded the bases when Towson was unable to get anyone out on fourth-year first baseman Brooke Sorber’s (Alexandria, Va.) fielder’s choice grounder. O’Leary crossed the plate when fourth-year catcher Michelle Salmiery’s (San Jose, Calif.) grounder to third was misplayed for an error. First-year right fielder Sarah Tacke (Merced, Calif.) drove in Crockett with the fourth fielder’s choice grounder of the inning. The Tigers answered with three runs in the top of the fourth to take a 3-2 lead. Kim Lempa reached on an error by UVa’s third baseman to lead off the inning. Megan Zwoyer followed with a single to center field and Nina Navarro plated Lempa with a double down the left field line. Stefanie Streets put the Tigers ahead, 3-2, with a two-run double down the left field line.
Towson held the 3-2 lead until the sixth inning. With one-out, second-year shortstop Kierstie Cameron (Pinon Hills, Calif.) and first-year designated player Nicole Koren (Warminster, Pa.) hit back-to-back doubles to tie the game at 3-3. Cameron’s double found the gap in left center, while Koren’s shot hit the chalk down the left field line. Steffan then put Virginia ahead to stay by slamming her first career home run – a two-run shot to left center – to make the final score 5-3. It capped off a career-best 3-3 performance by Steffan.
Holstun registered the victory in the circle for the Cavaliers to improve to 2-0 on the season. Holstun held the Tigers to three hits over the final four innings with two strikeouts and a walk. Fourth-year Coty Tolar (Marietta, Ga.) started in the circle for Virginia went four-plus innings while allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits. She struck out four batters and did not issue a walk. Shannon Johnston (5-5) took the loss for the Tigers. She went 5.1 innings and allowed five runs (three earned) on eight hits with two strikeouts and a walk. Jillian Kiley pitched the final two-thirds of an inning and struck out one of the two batters she faced.
The second game was scoreless until the fourth inning when Towson’s Jen Hastings’ RBI single to left field plated Stephanie Fudurich. Fudurich led off with a walk and moved to third on Streets’ double to left field. Fudurich staked the Tigers to a 2-0 lead with a RBI single in the fifth that scored Navarro from second base. Navarro reached on a fielder’s choice and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch.
Kiley held UVa to three hits over the first five innings, but the Cavaliers struck for four runs on three hits in the sixth to take a 4-2 lead. Steffan led off the inning with an infield single to shortstop and moved to second on a passed ball. She stole third base and the throw from the catcher was high, allowing her to cross the plate with UVa’s first run of the game. O’Leary then drew a walk and Crockett reached on a bunt single with O’Leary hustling to third. Crockett was able to take second on the play and then O’Leary raced home with the tying run when no Towson player covered home plate. Third-year right fielder Lindsey Preuss (La Plata, Md.) put the Cavaliers ahead for good with a long two-run homer to dead center field to make the score 4-2.
Tolar pitched the first 4.2 innings for UVa and gave up two runs on four hits with four strikeouts and three walks. Holstun relieved Tolar in the fifth and went 1.1 innings to pick up her second win of the afternoon and improve to 3-0 on the season. Holstun allowed five hits and struck out one batter. Second-year Karla Wilburn (Del Mar, Calif.) came in with runners on second and third with no outs in the seventh and tagged out a runner at the plate after a wild pitch. She also retired the next two batters to register her second save of the season. Kiley (8-9) suffered the loss in the circle. She went five innings and allowed four runs on six hits with three walks. Jess Arnoldi relieved Kiley in the sixth and pitched one inning and gave up one hit and a walk.
Steffan went 4-5 with two RBI and two runs scored in the doubleheader. Preuss was 2-2 in the second game and scored two runs on the afternoon.
The Cavaliers return to action on Friday (April 6) when they host Virginia Tech at 4 p.m. at The Park. UVa wraps up the three-game series against the Hokies with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday (April 7).