UVa Defeated Twice on Day 2 of Home Tournament

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia softball team (14-11) was defeated twice on the second day of the UVa Spring Break Invitational, which continued Sunday at The Park. The Cavaliers fell to No. 25 Syracuse 13-8 and Fordham 8-4.

Four different pitchers saw action vs. the Orange after starter Melanie Mitchell was shaken up during the first inning and did not return. Freshman Kate Fowler made her pitching debut for the Cavaliers; classmate Erica Cipolloni and junior Stephanie Coates also saw action on game one.

Fowler tossed the final 2 1/3 innings and allowed one run on one hit. She also recorded two strikeouts.

Virginia, the visiting team on the scoreboard, jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the top of the first inning. Junior Giannina Cipolloni led off the game with a double and Pittman followed with a bunt single to put runners on the corners. Pittman then stole second and Cipolloni scored when the ball went into center field on the throw down to second. Freshman Marcy Bowdren then followed with a fielder’s choice and reached safely, moving Pittman to third. Both runners would eventually score on an Orange error that came on a Stephanie Harris ground ball; Harris eventually scored after a stolen base and another Syracuse error.

But the Orange fought back with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning. Mitchell faced just two batters before coming out of the game.

Syracuse then had a big inning in the fifth with five more runs, and added another in the fifth.

Virginia put up two runs in both the fifth and sixth innings. In the fifth, Bowdren belted a two-run homer to left, her second of the weekend.

For the game, Syracuse outhit UVa 7-5.

Fordham hit three home runs in the first two innings of play to go up early the Cavaliers 4-0 in game two. Both teams finished the contest with 10 hits, while Virginia committed three errors.

Pittman, Harris and Erica Cipolloni led UVa against the Rams with two hits apiece.

Fowler made her first career start in the circle during game two and pitched the first inning. She was relieved by Coates, who tossed the final six innings; Coates would finish with four strikeouts.

Virginia concludes tournament play at 3 p.m. Monday with a rematch against Fordham. Syracuse and Princeton will play at 12 p.m.