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Softball Season Closes at ACC Championship
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COLLEGE PARK, Md. The Virginia softball team (15-39) closed its season with a 5-3 loss to Georgia Tech (31-29) Friday in the ACC Championship. The Cavaliers, seeded eighth, rallied for three runs in the sixth inning, but could not catch up with the fourth-seeded Yellow Jackets, who move on to play another day.
The Cavaliers finished with a 6-15 record in conference play, increasing its league wins after a 1-20 mark in the ACC a season ago.
Against Georgia Tech, Virginia put up three runs on five hits, led by two singles from first-year Alison Pittman. Second-year Kelly Haller recorded a double while Lindsey Preuss and Lauren McCaskey both had RBI singles. The Yellow Jackets scored their five runs on 10 hits.
Georgia Tech got on the board in the second inning when Brittany Barnes belted her 12th home run of the year to left center. The big inning for the Yellow Jackets was in the fifth when the squad put up four runs.
Virginia starting pitcher Karla Wilburn was replaced in the inning by both Whitney Holstun and then Allee Rife, but eventually was the third pitching change in the stanza and came back in to close the inning. Georgia Tech recorded six hits, all singles, in the top of the fourth.
The Cavaliers rallied back to score three times in the bottom of the sixth. Pittman led off with a single to left and moved to second on a wild pitch. Sarah Tacke reached on a walk and Jennifer Bowles came on to pinch run. Kelly Haller would reach on a fielder’s choice and because of a throwing error, Pittman was able to score and move Bowles to third and Haller to second. After a strikeout, Preuss grounded out to short but recorded a RBI, bringing in Bowles. The next batter, McCaskey, singled to left to score Haller.
Wilburn took the loss for Virginia, throwing 6 1/3 with four strikeouts. Georgia Tech hurler Whitney Humphreys earned the win and tallied seven strikeouts.
Virginia’s game with Georgia Tech marked the final contest in a Cavalier uniform for seniors Kierstie Cameron, Whitney Holstun, Meghan O’Leary and Lindsey Preuss.