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Virginia Completes Sweep with 4-2 Win Over BC
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CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – The Virginia softball team (32-18, 12-5 ACC) completed the sweep over Boston College (14-28, 0-15 ACC) with a 4-2 win in nine innings Sunday in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Freshman pitcher Melanie Mitchell earned her 25th win of the season, the most since 1994 when Michelle Collins also won 25 games. She needs two more wins to tie former Cavalier Lisa Palmer in the records books as the single season leader; Palmer won 27 games during the 1988 campaign.
Mitchell tossed all nine innings and finished with six strikeouts in another complete game outing.
In the ninth, seniors Nicole Koren and Sarah Tacke each walked and Giannina Cipolloni was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Clara Kendall stepped to the plate and tallied a sacrifice flyout to left, scoring Koren, while Tacke and Cipolloni both moved up on the play. Alexa Martinez pinch hit for Alison Pittman and also recorded a sac fly to left, which allowed Tacke to score, giving Virginia the lead.
Virginia outhit BC 7-5 in the contest. Alex Skinkis recorded a pair of singles while Cipolloni, Kendall, Pittman and Taylor Williams also singled. Koren also homered and walked twice, scoring two of Virginia’s runs.
Koren belted a solo home run to right – her 11th of the season – to give Virginia an early lead, 1-0, after the first inning of play.
BC tied the game in the second when Renee Ramos led off the stanza with a solo homer to left center. After UVa was held scoreless, the Eagles took a 2-1 advantage in the bottom of the fourth.
Amy Tunstall led off the inning with a single to center. Teammate Carolyn Jones came on to pinch run and took second on a Ramos groundout to the right side. The next batter, Brittany Wilkins, flied out to deep center, allowing Jones to tag up and move to third. Dani Weir then beat out an infield single that allowed Jones to score.
The Cavaliers tied the game in the sixth. With one out, Kendall walked, Pittman recorded an infield single and Abby Synder walked to load the bases. Then with two outs, Skinkis tallied a RBI single, allowing Kendall to score.
BC’s Nicole D’Argento had a solid outing in the circle, though credited with the loss. She finished with five strikeouts in all nine innings of work.
Virginia concludes the regular season with a three-game series with No. 20 Florida State at home next weekend. On Sunday, Virginia’s three seniors – Nicole Koren, Sarah Tacke and Abby Snyder – will be honored as they play their last game at The Park.