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Virginia Falls to Iowa, No. 7 Oklahoma
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FULLERTON, Calif. – The Virginia softball team (16-9) fell to Iowa 2-0 and seventh-ranked Oklahoma 9-1 on day two of the Judi Garman Classic Friday in Fullerton, Calif.
The Cavaliers and Hawkeyes played six scoreless innings until Iowa (10-12) put up two runs in the top of the seventh.
Junior Taylor Williams (Woodbridge, Va.), sophomore Erica Cipolloni (Philadelphia, Pa.) and sophomore Marcy Bowdren (Fairfax Station, Va.) each had singles in the game, though the Cavaliers were outhit 6-3.
Junior Melanie Mitchell threw all seven innings and finished with 11 strikeouts. For Iowa, Kayla Massey earned the shutout victory with five strikeouts and one walk.
The Hawkeyes got their two runs when Melanie Gladden doubled to right center with two outs to score Katie Keim and Johnnie Dowling, who both singled earlier in the inning.
In the bottom half of the seventh, Cipolloni walked with one out and Bowdren singled to center, putting runners on the corners. But Massey stuck out the next two Cavaliers to put the game away for Iowa.
In game two, Oklahoma exploded for six runs in the top half of the third inning and outhit Virginia 18-5 en route to victory.
Mitchell started the game and threw the first 2.1 innings, allowing six runs on six hits as she took the loss. Senior Stephanie Coates (Gloucester, Va.) pitched the final 4.2 innings and gave up three runs, two earned, on 11 hits. She also tallied three strikeouts.
Junior Alex Skinkis (La Palma, Calif.) led Virginia at the plate against the Sooners with two singles. Cipolloni, freshman Megan Harris (Knoxville, Tenn.) and sophomore Karli Johnson (Lovettsville, Va.) also singled
Virginia scored its lone run in the bottom of the fifth. Skinkis singled up the middle and stole second to leadoff the stanza. On a Stephanie Harris (Knoxville, Tenn.) groundout, Skinkis moved to third. Then with two outs, Johnson came on to pinch hit and singled through the right side to score Skinkis.
Michelle Gascoigne earned the win in the circle for Oklahoma. She finished with nine strikeouts.
The Cavaliers conclude play in the Judi Garman Classic with a 9 a.m. (12 p.m. Eastern) game Sunday vs. No. 19 Michigan.