Cavaliers Take Down St. Bonaventure, 15-5
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Feb. 9, 2013
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BUIES CREEK, N.C.—The Virginia softball team exploded for 15 runs and 11 hits in a 15-5 win over St. Bonaventure in the final game of the Campbell/Hampton Inn Invitational Saturday night (Feb. 9) in Buies Creek, N.C. With the win, the Cavaliers improved to 2-1 on young season, while St. Bonaventure fell to 0-4.
Virginia had three hitters with two hits, including senior Taylor Williams (Woodbridge, Va.) and juniors Marcy Bowdren (Fairfax Station, Va.) and Erica Cipolloni (Philadelphia, Pa.). Freshman pitcher Aimee Chapdelaine (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) threw a complete game for her first collegiate win.
“I’m really proud of the way we responded after yesterday’s loss,” UVa head coach Eileen Schmidt said. “Aimee (Chapdelaine) did a great job of finishing the game and our offense stepped up to the challenge of carrying the load.”
Williams led off the game with a walk and promptly stole second before coming home on a Bonnie error. In the second inning, senior Alex Skinkis (La Palma, Calif.) hit a long ball over the left-center fence for the Cavaliers first home run of the season.
After St. Bonaventure struck for a run, sophomore Peyton Larus (Midlothian, Va.) led off the third with a walk. After a Bowdren walk, Cipolloni and sophomore Megan Harris (Knoxville, Tenn.) followed with back-to-back home runs to left field and gave the Cavaliers a 6-1 lead. It was Harris’ first collegiate long ball.
The Bonnies tallied three runs in the bottom of the third, but a Williams’ two-run triple and a Bowdren RBI double pushed the UVa lead back up to five, 9-4.
The Cavaliers recorded six runs in the top of the fourth, including RBI singles from Williams, Bowdren and sophomore Heidi Velk (Murrieta, Calif.).
Chapdelaine (1-1) had three strikeouts, while allowing five runs and seven hits for the win.
St. Bonaventure starter Carly Bilchak (0-2) allowed eight runs (seven earned) in three and a third innings in taking the loss.
The Cavaliers’ game with George Washington, which was scheduled to follow the St. Bonaventure game, was postponed due to freezing temperatures and will be rescheduled in Charlottesville at a later date.
Virginia returns to action for a tournament in Baton Rouge, La., Feb. 15-17.