Cavaliers Fall to Fresno State, 4-1

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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – The Virginia softball team (8-4) fell to Fresno State 4-1 in its third game of the Cathedral City Classic. The Cavaliers conclude tournament play Saturday with two games.

Virginia took an early 1-0 run lead in the fourth inning but the Bulldogs (4-0) put up two runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth for a 4-1 outcome. Fresno State outhit the Cavaliers 9-5 in the contest; neither team committed an error.

Sophomore Melanie Mitchell pitched six innings and finished with six strikeouts. Classmate Alex Skinkis led the Orange and Blue at the plate with two singles while freshman Stephanie Harris also recorded a double.

Fresno State’s Mackenzie Oakes earned the win in the circle. She threw all seven innings and finished with seven strikeouts and three walks.

UVa’s lone run came in the fourth inning. With one out, freshman Marcy Bowdren walked. The next batter, classmate Erica Cipolloni, singled to right, moving Bowdren over to third. Skinkis followed with a single up the middle, her second hit of the game, and Bowdren scored easily.

Fresno State started the fifth with a walk and a ground rule double to put runners on second and third with no outs. The Cavaliers were almost able to get out of the jam with back-to-back groundouts at third that Cipolloni handled. But Brooke Ortiz hit a two-out single to center that scored both Diane Runge and Alexis Lugan.

In the sixth, Andrea Ortega led off with a single up the middle. With one out, Nicole Angene blooped a single between second base and right field to put two runners on. After a strikeout, Caitlin Stiglich was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Haley Gilleland singled up to middle to score Ortega and Angene.

Virginia concludes tournament play in the Cathedral City Classic against two ranked opponents on Saturday. The Cavaliers will face No. 11 Hawaii at 3 p.m. (6 p.m. Eastern) and top-ranked Arizona at 8 p.m. (11 p.m. Eastern).