Cavaliers Defeat BC 5-1 to Win Series
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CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – The Virginia softball team (18-13, 5-4 ACC) defeated Boston College 5-1 Sunday at Shea Field in Chestnut Hill, Mass., to win the series with the Eagles two games to one. Junior shortstop Alex Skinkis was 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBI and junior pitcher Melanie Mitchell finished with 10 strikeouts in the winning effort.
The Cavaliers outhit BC 9-4 in the contest. Skinkis (La Palma, Calif.) had a double and two singles while Marcy Bowdren (Fairfax Station, Va.) singled twice and Kristen Hawkins (Elizabeth, Pa.) also doubled.
Mitchell (White Plains, Md.) threw her 16th complete game of the season en route to earning her 12th win. She allowed one run on four hits and only walked one batter in addition to her 10 strikeouts.
Nicole D’Argento took the loss for the Eagles. She threw the first 5.2 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits with four strikeouts. Amanda Horowitz came on in relief and gave up one run on two hits.
Boston College (19-12, 1-5 ACC) was first on the board when catcher Brittany Wilkins led off the bottom of the second inning with a solo home run.
The Cavaliers then put up three runs in the fourth and two more in the sixth.
In the fourth, Virginia senior Kennedy Byxbee (Paradise Valley, Ariz.) led off with a single to center. Karli Johnson (Lovettsville, Va.) reached on a fielder’s choice after Byxbee was thrown out at second. With one out, Hawkins was hit by a pitch to put two on base. The next batter, Taylor Williams (Woodbridge, Va.), singled to left to score Johnson from second. Then with two outs, Skinkis hit a double to left that allowed both Hawkins and Williams to score. Virginia jumped out to a 3-1 lead.
In the sixth, Hawkins doubled to right with one out and Williams laid down a bunt to move Hawkins to third. With two down, Giannina Cipolloni (Philadelphia, Pa.) beat out an infield single and Hawkins scored on the play. Cipolloni would then score on a Skinkis single to right for a 5-1 advantage.
Virginia travels to Longwood for a doubleheader at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday in Farmville, Va.