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Virginia Splits Doubleheader with Virginia Tech
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia softball team (20-23, 3-10 ACC) split a doubleheader with ACC rival Virginia Tech (31-12, 8-6 ACC) Friday at The Park. The Cavaliers won the first game 8-2 before the Hokies took game two, 14-4, in five innings.
Virginia outhit Virginia Tech 12-6 in the first game and got 12 strikeouts from sophomore pitcher Melanie Mitchell, who tossed a complete game. Senior Alison Pittman was 3-for-4 at the plate while freshman Stephanie Harris and sophomore Alex Skinkis each added two hits.
After the Hokies took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, the Cavaliers tied the game in the second. With one out, Harris doubled to right center, then with two outs, senior Cynthia Javaras singled through the right side to score Harris.
UVa then took a 3-1 lead in the third. With one out, Pittman singled up the middle and Erica Cipolloni reached on a fielder’s choice after Pittman beat the throw to second. Harris hit a hard single to second, allowing Pittman to score, and Skinkis laid down a bunt that allowed Cipolloni to score on the squeeze.
The Cavaliers added two more runs in the fourth. Marcy Bowdren hit her fifth home run of the season to left center and Williams tallied a bunt single and later scored after Cipolloni singles and the Hokies committed a throwing error.
Williams was hit by a pitch with two outs in the fifth and came in to score after a Giannina Cipolloni bunt single led to another VT throwing error.
The Cavaliers put up two more runs in the sixth to score eight unanswered. Erica Cipolloni walked to lead off the stanza and Harris followed with a single to center. With runners on first and second, Skinkis doubled to left center, allowing both runners to come home.
Three different Hokie pitchers saw action in the first game; starter Jasmin Harrell took the loss. She tossed the first 2 1/3 innings and allowed three earned runs on four hits. Kenzie Roark threw the next 2 2/3 with two runs on six hits and three strikeouts. Ashton Ward pitched the sixth and gave up two runs on two hits.
The Hokies jumped out to another 1-0 lead to start game two and the Cavaliers tied it after an inning. But Tech roared back for five runs in both the second and third innings and put up three more in the fifth.
Virginia scored once more in the fourth and put up two runs in the fifth but fell short. The Hokies outhit the Cavaliers 14-4 in game two.
Mitchell started the contest but only faced two batters before she experienced some pain and was pulled from the game. Stephanie Coates, who took the loss, pitched two innings, while Erica Cipolloni threw the final three.
Roark earned the win for Tech, tossing all five innings. She gave up two earned runs on the six hits and had four strikeouts.
Giannina Cipolloni led the Cavaliers in game two with a pair of hits. Pittman, Harris, Skinkis and Bowdren also tallied hits.
Virginia and Virginia Tech are scheduled to conclude the series at 12 p.m. Saturday.