Virginia Splits Doubleheader with George Mason

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Box Score March 11, 2015

Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

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FAIRFAX, Va.–The Virginia softball team split a doubleheader with George Mason Wednesday (March 11) at the George Mason Softball Complex. The Cavaliers (5-18) took the first game, 10-9 in 11 innings, but the Patriots (1-10) won the second, 8-7.

In the top of the fifth of the first game, sophomore Katie Park (Scottsdale, Ariz.) hit a three-run home run to left center, scoring junior pinch runner Taylor Sarcone (Staten Island, N.Y.) and sophomore Madison Labshere (El Cajon, Calif.), to cut the lead to 5-4.

With one out in the seventh, freshman Brittany McNulla (Litchfield, N.H.) singled before junior Aimee Chapdelaine (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) singled to move sophomore pinch runner Iyana Hughes (Manteca, Calif.) to third. Senior Megan Harris (Knoxville, Tenn.) hit a sac fly to score Hughes to tie the game and fellow senior Heidi Velk a fly ball to left that dropped in to score Chapdelaine.

After the Patriots scored in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game, 6-6, and a scoreless eighth inning, the Cavaliers took the lead on a Patriot throwing error where Chapdelaine and Harris came home to score. The Patriots scored two in the bottom of the inning on a single and a sac fly to extend the game.

In the 10th inning, McNulla singled home freshman pinch runner Lauren Heintzelman (Southlake, Texas) to give UVa a 9-8 lead, but the Patriots answered with one of their own to prolong the game, but sophomore McKall Miller’s RBI single in the 11th that scored Velk proved to be the game winner.

Freshman Alex Formby (Orange, Calif.) earned her first career win (1-6) after allowing one unearned run in 2.2 innings of relief, including an escape in the 11th when the Patriots had the bases loaded and no outs.

Casey Herring (1-3) took the loss for the Patriots, allowing two unearned runs in 2.1 innings.

In the second game, the Cavaliers took the 7-4 lead going to the bottom of the seventh, but the Patriots scored four to win, 8-7.

Sophomore Kaitlin Fitzgerald (Placentia, Calif.) hit her first home run in a Cavalier uniform, a solo shot to center, in the first inning. Park launched her second home run of the day in the fourth, a two-run shot to left, while Harris followed later in the inning with an RBI triple to right.

Harris hit her second triple of the game in the sixth inning, only the seventh time in school history a Cavalier has hit two in the same game.

In the seventh, the Cavaliers took the lead when McNulla hit a two-run double that scored Park and Hughes and came home on a throwing error by George Mason, but Patriots struck for four, winning on a Herring two-run double.

Alex Formby pitched her first career complete game, allowing eight runs (six earned), but took the loss. Herring picked up the win for GMU, throwing three innings of relief with three runs (two earned).

The Cavaliers return to ACC play this weekend (March 14-15) for a three-game series at Louisville. Saturday’s doubleheader and Sunday’s single game are set for noon starts.