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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. The Virginia softball team (4-10) won back-to-back games for the first time this season, defeating Jacksonville 8-3 in the second of two contests played Saturday in the JU Softball Tournament. The Cavaliers beat Coastal Carolina earlier in the day 9-5. Virginia is 2-2 in the event thus far with one more game to play.
Against the host Dolphins, third-year Carly Winger belted her second home run of the year. Virginia registered 13 hits compared to JU’s seven and committed just one error.
Winger had a solid game against Jacksonville, going 3-for-4 at the plate with two singles in addition to her home run. She also scored three of the squad’s eight runs. Meghan O’Leary also had an impressive day, going 3-for-4 in the batter’s box and scoring two runs. Lindsey Preuss and Lauren McCaskey also added two hits apiece.
Fourth-year Karla Wilburn earned the win in the circle for the Orange and Blue. Wilburn pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed three runs, all earned, on six hits. Classmate Whitney Holstun pitched 2 2/3 innings in relief and shut out the Dolphins on just one hit while fanning two.
Virginia scored one run in the top of the second and one in the third to take a 2-0 lead. Winger’s homer to left came in the second, and O’Leary came across to score in the third.
The Cavaliers had a big fifth-inning and put five runs on the scoreboard. With one out, O’Leary recorded an infield single and McCaskey singled up the middle to put runners on first and second. Both runners advanced a base on a passed ball and were brought home to score by Preuss on a double to left field. After Alison Pittman pinch-ran for Kelly Haller, who reached on a fielder’s choice, Winger singled to drive in Preuss. Pittman scored on a single by Abby Snyder and Winger would then score on a Jacksonville error.
The Dolphins cut the lead to 7-3 when the JU squad got on the board in the bottom of the sixth inning. Wilburn retired 14 of the last 15 batters heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, when Jacksonville scored three runs.
Virginia would add an insurance run in the top of the seventh on a RBI single by Holstun that scored Winger, who ripped a two-out single earlier in the inning.
Virginia closes play at the JU Softball Tournament with a rematch against the Dolphins at 9 a.m. Sunday.