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April 17, 2007
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia softball team will host in-state rival Longwood in a doubleheader on Wednesday (April 18) at The Park. The first game of the twinbill is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.
UVa enters the contests with a 14-30 overall record and the Cavaliers are looking to snap a six-game losing streak. Last weekend, Virginia lost a tripleheader to NC State (April 14) in Raleigh, N.C. The Wolfpack won by scores of 6-2, 7-2 and 12-0 in five innings.
Longwood has won five of its last six games and stands at 18-14 on the season. The Lancers swept Georgetown in a doubleheader on April 14 by scores of 5-0 and 8-0 in five innings.
“Longwood is a very strong team,” said head coach Karen Johns. “They have excellent pitching and a very strong hitting line-up. We are very familiar with their program having played them this fall. We look forward to the challenge.”
The Cavaliers lead the all-time series against Longwood 7-6. The two teams split a doubleheader exactly one year ago today in Farmville with the Lancers taking the first game 8-0 in five innings. UVa won the nightcap 5-4 in eight innings. Longwood swept a doubleheader at Virginia in the 2005 season, winning 5-2 and 7-2. The first six meetings occurred in the early 1980’s. The two teams also met twice in 1991 and once in 1998 with UVa winning all three meetings in the 1990’s and the final two match-ups in the 80’s.
First-year Kelly Haller (Leesburg, Va.) leads the Cavaliers with a .421 (48-114) batting average, which is also third in the ACC. She tops the team in home runs (10), RBI (39), walks (22), slugging percentage (.746) and on-base percentage (.514). She is tied with fourth-year Brooke Sorber (Alexandria, Va.) for team-high honors in doubles with seven. Sorber is second on the team with a .317 (26-82) batting average this season and is tied with first-year Abby Snyder (Cantonment, Fla.) for the team lead in hit by pitches with six.
The doubleheader can be followed live via gametracker at virginiasports.com.