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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. The Virginia softball team (6-12, 2-1 ACC) welcomes James Madison to The Park for its 2008 home opener with a doubleheader Wednesday. Game one will begin at 4 p.m. with the second game schedule for roughly a 6 p.m. start. The Cavaliers are coming off their spring break trip in which the team compiled a 4-4 record, highlighted by an ACC series win at Georgia Tech. The Red and Black Tournament in Louisville over the weekend was canceled because of snow.
Virginia’s conference series win against the Yellow Jackets was the first since the 2006 season when the Cavaliers took two-of-three from Maryland. In addition, UVa’s two league wins in the opening series of ACC play already surpass the team’s win total from last year (1-20).
On the season, second-year Kelly Haller leads Virginia at the plate with a .378 batting average and also hit her first home run of the season against Georgia Tech. Fourth-year Lindsey Preuss is hitting .351 and leads the Cavaliers with 20 hits and four home runs. Third-year Sarah Tacke, who tallied her second grand slam of the young season against the Yellow Jackets, has a team-best 16 RBI and is hitting .325.
James Madison is 8-9 overall and is coming off play at the shortened Tar Heel Invitational, going 1-2 in Chapel Hill. The Dukes most recently dropped a 3-0 contest to the host Heels Sunday. Earlier in the week, JMU battled ACC foe Maryland but lost to the Terps 3-0 and 7-4.
Amber Kirk leads JMU at the plate, hitting .370 and is leading the team with 17 hits and 10 RBI this season. Kirk is tied with teammate Shannon Moxey with two home runs on the year. Moxey is hitting .273 and has compiled 15 hits, including seven doubles.
The Cavaliers lead the all-time series with James Madison, 20-10. Virginia has won four of the last five meetings between the two teams, including a 6-5 win in Harrisonsburg.