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Virginia Downs Patriots in Regular Season Finale
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Sophomore Erica Cipolloni hit her seventh home run of the season as the Virginia softball team (26-24) finished off regular season play Tuesday with a 5-1 victory over George Mason.
The Cavaliers received another solid performance from junior pitcher Melanie Mitchell (White Plains, Md.), who on Tuesday was named the ACC’s co-pitcher of the week. She threw five of six perfect innings, allowing just two hits in the top half of the fourth. Mitchell finished with six strikeouts and no walks to pick up her 19th victory of the season.
Senior Stephanie Coates (Gloucester, Va.) came on to throw the seventh in relief of Mitchell. She allowed one run on three hits and struck out the final batter of the game.
Senior Giannina Cipolloni (Philadelphia, Pa.) and sophomore Karli Johnson (Lovettsville, Va.) each had two hits to lead Virginia at the plate. The Cavaliers outhit George Mason 9-5.
Virginia took a 3-0 lead in the bottom half of the first. Giannina Cipolloni led off the game for the Cavaliers with a single to left and stole second. Junior Alex Skinkis (La Palma, Calif.) followed with a bunt single and stole second to put runners on second and third with nobody out.
Senior Alexa Martinez (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) grounded out to the right side, allowing Cipolloni to score from third. Skinkis would then come home on a wild pitch for a 2-0 lead. Erica Cipolloni (Philadelphia, Pa.) blasted a solo home run to left to expand the lead to 3-0.
The Cavaliers added two more in the third. With one out, Martinez singled to left. Then with two down, sophomore Stephanie Harris (Knoxville, Tenn.) reached on a fielding error. After classmate Marcy Bowdren (Fairfax Station, Va.) recorded an infield single to load the bases, Johnson hit a shot right up the middle to score both Martinez and Harris. UVa led 5-0 after three innings.
George Mason picked up its lone run in the top half of the seventh after recording three hits in the inning.
The Cavaliers are off for final examinations until the ACC Championship, which begins May 10 in Chapel Hill, N.C.