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CHARLOTESVILLE, Va. The Virginia softball team (7-15, 2-3 ACC) dropped two games Friday to Florida State in the Atlantic Conference home opener at The Park. The Seminoles took game one 9-1 before defeating UVa 8-3 in game two. Second-year Abby Snyder and first-year Alison Pittman each went 2-of-3 at the plate in the first game while Snyder was 1-of-2 in the second game, belting her second home run of the season.
Florida State took control early in game one, scoring two runs in the first inning and five in the second to quickly take a 7-0 lead. Virginia scored its lone run of the game in the bottom of the second inning. Carly Winger led off the inning with a walk and moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt by teammate Sarah Tacke. Winger advanced to third after a single through the right side by Allee Rife and was brought home to score when Pittman slapped an infield single to the Florida State first baseman.
The Seminoles (20-9, 3-2 ACC) added more insurance in the third and in the seventh. Florida State scored nine runs on 13 hits and committed one error while Virginia scored one run on five hits and committed two errors.
Karla Wilburn got the start in the circle for UVa and threw 1 2/3 innings. Rife came on in the second and pitched the rest of the game. Each hurler struck out two batters.
In the second game, it was again Florida State that struck first. In the first inning, the Seminoles were able to bring across a run despite having no hits.
FSU led 1-0 but both teams went scoreless until the bottom of the fifth. Whitney Holstun, who started game two for Virginia, threw a no-hitter through five innings.
Virginia tied the game when Abby Snyder hit a solo shot to left center in the bottom of the fifth. But Florida State responded in the top of the sixth, pouring in four runs. The Cavaliers got back two in the bottom half of the inning to cut the lead to 5-3.
Tacke led off the sixth with a double down the right field line and was replaced on the base paths by first-year Jennifer Bowles. Bowles advanced to third on a groundout and Casey Steffan pinch ran for Kelly Haller following a walk. After Steffan took second, Winger brought in both runs with single to right field.
Florida State extended its lead in the top of the seventh, scoring three more runs to take an 8-3 advantage. The Seminoles finished with seven hits and no errors while Virginia had four hits and one error.
The series concludes at 1 p.m. Saturday at The Park. The game will be shown on ACC Select.