Cavaliers Play Host to Liberty in Wednesday Doubleheader

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia softball team (21-23) takes a break from conference action to play host to in-state foe Liberty (17-27) at 5 p.m. Wednesday at The Park. Live statistics for both games of the doubleheader will be available on VirginiaSports.com.

The Cavaliers won the first contest of a three-game series at Virginia Tech over the weekend but lost the series to the Hokies, two games to one. Liberty, meanwhile, is coming off a series win at Presbyterian College, two games to one, after coming out victorious in the first two games of the weekend.

Senior Alexa Martinez (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) leads Virginia at the plate with a .324 average on the season. Sophomore Erica Cipolloni (Philadelphia, Pa.) contributes a .292 average and a team-best six home runs. Senior Giannina Cipolloni (Philadelphia, Pa.) also paces the squad with 26 stolen bases while sophomore Marcy Bowdren (Fairfax Station, Va.) adds 24 RBI.

In the circle, junior Melanie Mitchell (White Plains, Md.) has 15 wins in the year to go along with 233 strikeouts and a 1.57 ERA.

Liberty is led by sophomore Katie Zavodny’s .351 average at the plate while two of her teammates, freshman Kelby Allen (.312) and senior Meredith Crisante (.311), are also hitting over .300. Crisante’s 41 hits and 25 runs lead the Flames offense; she also contributes 27 RBI, which is second on the squad behind sophomore Sammi Shivock’s 28 RBI.

Sophomore Alyssa DiMartino (8-16, 4.26 ERA) and freshman Chandler Ball (9-9, 4.66 ERA) have split time in the circle for Liberty. Ball leads the way with 102 strikeouts.

Virginia leads the all-time series with the Flames, 38-18. A year ago, the two teams split a doubleheader in Lynchburg, Va. Liberty picked up an 8-0 win in five innings of game one before UVa came back to win game two, 3-2, in 10 innings.