Cavaliers Drop a Pair of Games at Purple and Gold Challenge
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Feb. 16, 2013
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BATON ROUGE, La.–The Virginia softball team dropped a pair of games Saturday (Feb. 16) at the Purple and Gold Challenge in Baton Rouge, La. The Cavaliers fell to North Dakota State, 5-2, before No. 10/11 LSU (8-1) earned a 4-0 victory over UVa (3-4).
In the first game, the Cavaliers earned their only run in the third inning when sophomore Heidi Velk (Murrieta, Calif.) doubled, moved to third on a senior Taylor Williams (Woodbridge, Va.) single and came home to score on a double steal.
Alyssa Reina started the Bison scoring with a home run to left in the second inning. Logan Moreland scored Katie Soukup on a RBI single also in the second, while the Bison scored three unearned runs in the top of the sixth.
Freshman Aimee Chapdelaine (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) allowed four runs (two earned) in 5+ innings with two strikeouts for the loss (1-3). Senior Melanie Mitchell (White Plains, Md.) came on in relief and struck out four in two innings, allowing one unearned run.
Whitney Johnson (2-2) pitched a four-hit complete game, allowing one run with eight strikeouts for the win.
In the second game, Mitchell (2-1) threw a complete game, but No. 10/11 LSU prevailed, 4-0. The senior allowed four runs (two earned) with seven strikeouts in her 93th career complete game. She is now tied for most complete games in UVa history with Michelle Collins.
LSU earned two unearned runs in the first inning before Bianka Bell hit a home run to right-center field in the third. The Tigers scored another run in the sixth to conclude the scoring.
Rachele Fico (5-0) pitched a complete-game shutout for the win for the Tigers with 10 strikeouts with three hits allowed.
Down to UVa’s final out, junior Karli Johnson (Lovettsville, Va.) walked and senior Kristen Hawkins (Elizabeth, Pa.) singled before senior pinch runner Lauren Didlake (Bowling Green, Pa.) and Hawkins advanced on a double steal, but a Fico strikeout ended the game.
The Cavaliers conclude the Purple and Gold Challenge Sunday (Feb. 17) when they face Nicholls State at 1:30 p.m. Eastern.