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Virginia Splits Doubleheader with Boston College
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CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – The Virginia softball team (17-13, 4-4 ACC) split a doubleheader with Boston College (19-11, 1-4 ACC) Saturday at Shea Field in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Virginia won the first game, 7-4, before the Eagles took game two, 10-4. Junior Kristen Hawkins (Elizabeth, Pa.) hit a three-run home run in the top of the seventh inning of game one in what proved to be the game-winner.
The Cavaliers outhit BC 10-6 en route to a victory in the first game of the day. Sophomore Stephanie Harris (Knoxville, Tenn.) homered and was 2-for-3 at the plate with three RBI. Senior Giannina Cipolloni (Philadelphia, Pa.) and sophomore Marcy Bowdren (Fairfax Station, Va.) both singled and doubled.
Junior pitcher Melanie Mitchell (White Plains, Md.) did not allow an earned run in her seven innings of work. She struck out 13 batters and did not walk a batter.
BC’s Amanda Horowitz took the loss after throwing the final inning. Nicole D’Argento threw the first 5.1 innings of play and allowed four runs on seven hits with four strikeouts. Morgan Kidd tossed 2/3 of an inning and allowed one hit with two walks.
The Eagles went up 2-0 in the first inning and added two more in the bottom of the fifth for a 4-0 lead over the Cavaliers. Virginia responded in the top half of the sixth, putting up four runs to tie the game.
Senior Kennedy Byxbee (Paradise Valley, Ariz.) walked and scored from first on a Bowdren double down the left field line. Megan Harris (Knoxville, Tenn.) then singled to left to put two runners on before sister Stephanie stepped to the plate and hit a one-out homer to center.
In the top half of the seventh, Bowdren led off with a single through the left side and moved to second on a Megan Harris sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Stephanie Harris was intentionally walked before Hawkins stepped in the box. She blasted a three-run homer to left center, which proved to be the game-winner.
It was Virginia that jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second game, but the Eagles rebounded for three runs in the second and four more in the third for an early 7-2 lead.
BC had four home runs in the winning effort, including two from D’Argento. Byxbee hit her second homer of the season with a solo shot in the second inning and Stephanie Harris also homered in the fifth, a two-run blast that cut the lead to 8-4.
Freshman Rachel Gillen (Wilmington, Del.) took the loss. She threw the first 3.1 innings and allowed eight runs on eight hits. She also struck out three and had three walks. Senior Stephanie Coates (Gloucester, Va.) tossed the final 2.2 innings and gave up two runs on two hits.
Horowitz threw the final 5.1 innings to pick up the win for the Eagles. She allowed two runs on three hits during that span.
The Cavaliers conclude the three-game series with Boston College at 12 p.m. Sunday. This is a time change because of impending inclement weather; the game was originally slated for 1 p.m.