Virginia Softball Drops Tripleheader To NC State
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April 14, 2007
RALEIGH, N.C. – The Virginia softball team lost three games to NC State in the Atlantic Coast Conference action Saturday (April 14) at Walnut Creek Park Softball Complex. The Cavaliers lost the opener 6-2 and the second game 7-2 before being no-hit by Abbie Sims in 12-0 five-inning decision in the third game. The Wolfpack hit five home runs on the day. With the three losses, UVa falls to 14-30 overall and 1-14 in the ACC, while NC State ran its winning streak to 10 games and is now 34-16 overall and 10-5 in the conference.
In the first game, NC State took the lead for good with a run in the bottom of the third inning. Kristine Bechtholdt singled to left field with two outs and then moved to third on Heather Gelbard’s double to left center. Bechtholdt scored the first run of the game on pinch hitter Claudia Cooper’s single to left center. The Wolfpack extended its lead to 2-0 in the fourth on Megan Dalthorp’s sacrifice fly to left field. Shana Smith and Sims led off the inning with back-to-back singles and Smith eventually scored from third on the sac fly.
NC State broke the game open with four runs in the fifth to take a 6-0 lead. Allison Presnell drove in the first run with a single up the middle and then Sims capped off the inning with a three-run homer just over the fence in center field.
The Cavaliers got a pair of runs back in the sixth to make the score 6-2. With one out, first-year third baseman Abby Snyder (Cantonment, Fla.) hit a sharp single to left field. She was forced out at second on a fielder’s choice grounder by fourth-year second baseman Elea Crockett (Tucson, Ariz.). Crockett advanced to second when fourth-year center fielder Meghan O’Leary’s (Baton Rouge, La.) grounder to second was misplayed for an error. First-year first baseman Kelly Haller (Leesburg, Va.) brought Crockett home with a single to right field. O’Leary also scored on the play on a throwing error by NC State’s right fielder.
Third-year Whitney Holstun (Escondido, Calif.) took the loss in the circle for UVa and fell to 3-2. Holstun went three innings and allowed two runs on five hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Fourth-year Coty Tolar (Marietta, Ga.) threw the final three innings and allowed four runs on four hits. Sims earned the win in the circle for NC State with a complete-game effort. Sims (20-5) allowed two unearned runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.
Third-year left fielder Lindsey Preuss (La Plata, Md.) broke up Sims’ no-hit bid with a single to shortstop with one out in the fifth inning.
In the second game, NC State used four singles to score one run in the bottom of the first inning. Smith brought home Blair Harkey with a single up the middle. The Wolfpack tacked on three runs in the fourth inning on Gelbards’ three-run homer to left center.
The Cavaliers scored their first run of the game in the top of the fifth. O’Leary was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and was forced out at second on Snyder’s fielder’s choice grounder. Snyder moved to second on fourth-year designated player Brooke Sober’s (Alexandria, Va.) third single of the game. A two-out walk to Haller loaded the bases and then first-year right fielder Nicole Koren (Warminster, Pa.) brought Snyder home with a single to shortstop to make the score 4-1. In the sixth inning, the Wolfpack’s Jennifer Patterson increased State’s lead to 7-1 with a three-run homer to left center. The Cavaliers tallied a run in the seventh to make the final score 7-2. With one out, Crockett singled to left field and moved to second on Haller’s single to center field. Crockett advanced to third on Koren’s fielder’s choice grounder to shortstop and then scored when NC State’s second baseman committed a throwing error while trying to complete the double play.
Holstun was saddled with her second loss of the day and fell to 3-3 on the season. She went the first three innings and allowed three runs on eight hits with two walks and a strikeout. Second-year Karla Wilburn (Del Mar, Calif.) pitched the final three innings and allowed four runs on six hits. Wilburn struck out one batter and walked two. Shaina Ervin went the distance in the circle for NC State to improve to 11-10. Ervin allowed two runs on 10 hits with three walks and seven strikeouts.
Sorber went 3-4 in the second game, while Preuss had a pair of hits.
In the third game, NC State jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead on five hits in the first inning. Jen Chamberlin had a RBI single to start the scoring and Presnell added a two-run double down the left field line. Smith hit a run-scoring double and Bechtholdt drove in the fifth run of the inning with a single. NC State took advantage of three UVa errors to score four unearned runs in the second. Smith provided the big hit in the inning with a two-run homer to center field. The Wolfpack scored one run in the third when Harkey scored from third on a wild pitch to make the score 10-0. NC State scored two more runs in the fourth to make the final score 12-0. Sims led off the inning with a home run to right field and Chamberlin added a RBI double.
Sims improved to 21-5 while tossing her third no-hitter of the season. Sims struck out six Cavaliers and walked only two. Tolar fell to 5-9 on the season. She allowed four runs on three hits and did not retire a batter before being replaced by Holstun. Holstun went 1.2 innings and allowed five runs (one earned) on four hits with two walks. Koren threw the final 2.1 innings and gave up three runs on four hits with two strikeouts and a walk.
Preuss and O’Leary were the only Cavaliers to reach base as Preuss drew a walk in the first inning and O’Leary walked in the second. Sims retired the final 10 batters she faced.
Virginia returns to action on Wednesday (April 18) when it hosts Longwood at The Park. The first game of the doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.