Virginia Softball Loses Twice To Virginia Tech
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April 7, 2007
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia softball team dropped a pair of games to Virginia Tech Saturday (April 7) at The Park on a cold and blustery day. With the two wins, the Hokies earn a point in the Commonwealth Challenge, presented by Comcast, by taking all three games over the weekend. UVa lead in the Commonwealth Challenge is now 13.5-6.5. Virginia Tech won the first game Saturday 2-1 and completed the series sweep with a 10-0 six-inning victory in the nightcap. The Cavaliers fall to 14-27 overall and 1-11 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Hokies, who are ranked 23rd in the ESPN.Com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll, improve to 32-12 overall and 9-3 in the conference.
In the first game, Virginia Tech got on the scoreboard first when Stephanie Savre led off the second inning with a home run to right field. The Cavaliers came right back and tied the game at 1-1 with an unearned run in the bottom half of the second. With one out, fourth-year right fielder Brooke Sorber (Alexandria, Va.) singled up the middle and then stole second base. With two outs, second-year shortstop Kierstie Cameron (Pinon Hills, Calif.) hit a ground ball to third that was misplayed for an error, allowing Sorber to score from second base.
The Hokies scored what proved to be the game-winning run in the fourth. With two outs, Savre drew a walk and moved to second on Kelsey Hoffman’s single to left center. Virginia Tech loaded the bases on Jessica Everhart’s single to third base and then pinch hitter Kelsey Rokey brought Savre home with a single to left field to make the score 2-1.
Third-year Whitney Holstun (Escondido, Calif.) took the loss in the circle for UVa and fell to 3-1 on the season. In 3.2 innings, Holstun gave up two runs on three hits and one walk. Fourth-year Coty Tolar (Marietta, Ga.) relieved Tolar in the fourth and went 2.2 innings. Angela Tincher improved to 24-4 with the complete-game victory in the circle. She allowed one unearned run on three hits while striking out 10 batters.
In the second game, the Hokies took advantage of five UVa errors for a 10-0 win. Virginia Tech scored all the runs they would need in the top of the first inning as two runners crossed the plate. Callie Rhodes reached on fielding error by UVa’s shortstop and advanced all the way to third on a second error on the play. Erin Ota then drew a walk and stole second base. Rhodes scored what proved to be the game-winning run on a wild pitch and Ota scored on Caroline Stolle’s sacrifice fly to center field. In the fourth inning, Whitney Davis was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame and eventually scored on a throwing error when the Cavaliers tried to complete a double play.
Virginia Tech broke the game open with four runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth. Davis drove in the first run of the fifth inning with an infield single and then Beth Walker hit a two-run triple to right center to drive in the final two runs of the inning to make the score 7-0. The Hokies scored two of their three runs in the sixth inning on a pair of sacrifice flies to make the final score 10-0.
Second-year Karla Wilburn (Del Mar, Calif.) allowed the first two runs of the game and was saddled with the loss. Wilburn (6-12) gave up two runs (one earned) on one hit and one walk in one inning of work. Tolar relieved Wilburn in the second frame and went three innings. Tolar gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Holstun entered the contest in the fifth inning and allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits. She also walked one batter in one inning of work. First-year Nicole Koren (Warminster, Pa.) pitched the final inning and allowed one unearned run. She walked a pair of batters and struck out one. Heather Lowry went the distance to earn the shutout for the Hokies. Lowry (6-6) held UVa to five hits while striking out seven batters.
First-year first baseman Kelly Haller (Leesburg, Va.) had three hits in six at-bats on the afternoon. Sorber and third-year left fielder Lindsey Preuss (La Plata, Md.) both had two hits for UVa.
UVa returns to action on Wednesday (April 11) when it hosts Liberty in a doubleheader at The Park. The first game is slated to begin at 2 p.m.