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ATLANTA The Virginia softball team (6-11, 2-0 ACC) opened Atlantic Coast Conference play Wednesday with two wins over Georgia Tech, including an 8-3 win in game one and a 2-1 victory in the second game. The Cavaliers have already surpassed their league win total from the 2007 season in the first conference series of the year.
Third-year Sarah Tacke recorded her second grand slam of the season with a two-out blast in game one to help lead the Cavaliers at the plate. Kelly Haller also went 2-for-4 at the plate against the Yellow Jackets in the first game.
Virginia registered eight runs on eight hits with just one error in the game one win; GT had three runs on eight hits and no errors.
Fourth-year Karla Wilburn (3-4, 1-0 ACC) pitched a two-hit shutout through three innings until the Yellow Jackets scored twice in the bottom of the fourth. Wilburn finished with four strikeouts on the afternoon, going the distance in the circle for UVa.
In the second game, Haller led off the top of the second inning with a solo shot to left field to give Virginia a 1-0 lead.
The Cavaliers added their second run in the top of the fifth. Pitcher Whitney Holstun helped herself with a double to right field to start the inning. Kierstie Cameron moved Holstun to third on a sacrifice bunt. Holstun then scored on a RBI single from fellow senior co-captain Meghan O’Leary.
Georgia Tech (6-14, 0-2 ACC) responded in the bottom of the fifth with a home run to left, but the Yellow Jackets went 1-2-3 in the seventh to give UVa the win.
Holstun (1-3, 1-0 ACC) earned her first win of the season in the circle for UVa, and Wilburn came on to get her first save.
The Cavaliers and Yellow Jackets will close the series at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at Glenn Field.