Virginia Splits Games At George Washington

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Box Score March 9, 2016

Box Score – Game 1 | Box Score – Game 2

WASHINGTON – Virginia (8-15) got four of its six runs on the day off home runs as the Cavaliers split a doubleheader at George Washington (6-7) at Mount Vernon Field on Wednesday.

Virginia won the first game 4-3 before dropping the second game 5-2.

Lauren Heintzelman (Southlake, Texas) hit a three-run home run in the first game, while Madison Labshere (El Cajon, Calif.) hit a solo shot and an RBI double in game two to lead the Virginia offense.

Virginia will return to action at home this weekend, opening Atlantic Coast Conference play against No. 20 Notre Dame in a three-game series. The Cavaliers and Irish will play a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday and close things out with a single game at 12 p.m. Sunday.

Game 1
Virginia 4, George Washington 3

All it took was one swing of the bat to give Virginia a lead it wouldn’t relinquish in game one of the day as Heintzelman hit a three-run shot to power the Cavalier offense.

Erika Osherow (Darien, Conn.) picked up the win for the Cavaliers to move to 6-9 on the season, while Lacy Smith (Lancaster, Pa.) grabbed her second save of the season. Osherow worked 5.1 innings in the start, allowing three runs – two earned – on four hits with a walk and four strikeouts. Smith worked the final 1.2 innings, allowing one hit.

Virginia got on the board in the second inning when Heintzelman delivered her three-run shot to left field to put the Cavaliers on top 3-0.

George Washington broke through in the fourth inning, getting a one-out double from Alana Anderson to score Paige Kovalsky who reached on a leadoff single. A second run came home on a Aiyana Leal-Robles single to center before the Cavaliers would get out of the inning with a 3-2 lead.

Virginia got a run back in the fifth inning when Tia Mitchell (Clarksburg, Md.) scored from second on a fly out to right field. Mitchell took off for third and the throw from right sailed into the dugout, allowing the freshman to advance home. The run gave the Cavaliers the 4-2 lead.

The Colonials again answered in the fifth, cutting the lead back to 4-3 but Osherow and the Cavaliers got the final out when needed to hold on to the lead. That lead would hold as Smith closed out the game to give Virginia the win.

Game 2
George Washington 5, Virginia 2

George Washington struck first in game two of the afternoon with a two-run home run from Carlee Gray. The two-out hit put the Colonials on top 2-0, the first lead of the afternoon for the home team.

Labshere got in on the action in the fifth, hitting a solo shot for the Cavaliers to cut the lead to 2-1.

A throwing error in the bottom of the fifth gave a run back to the Colonials a run back and sparked a rally for the home team. The Cavaliers turned to the bullpen after George Washington pushed two runs across with two outs on the board. Osherow, who entered for Smith, got a strikeout to end the inning and the Cavaliers trailed 4-1.

Another error in the sixth inning allowed George Washington to move the lead out to 5-1 as Virginia was unable to keep the Colonials off the board for the second straight inning.

Labshere again came through in the seventh, driving a double to the wall to score Katilin Fitzgerald (Placentia, Calif.) from third. Fitzgerald doubled to open the inning and took third on a fly out before the Labshere hit.

Virginia couldn’t complete the rally, however, as George Washington picked up the 5-2 win in game two.

Smith fell to 1-4 with the loss, allowing four runs – two earned – on four hits through 4.2 innings of work. She struck out two and walked two.

Game 1
Virginia 4, George Washington 3 (Mar 09, 2016 at Washington)
———————————————————————-
Virginia………… 030 010 0 – 4 5 1 (8-14)
George Washington… 000 210 0 – 3 5 2 (5-7)
———————————————————————-
Pitchers: Virginia – ; Lacy Smith(6) and Katie Park. George Washington – Costlow, S. and Leal-Robles.
Win-Erika Osherow(6-9) Save-Lacy Smith(2) Loss-Costlow, S.(4-2) T-1:45 A-49
HR VA – Lauren Heintzelman
Weather: Sunny, 81 degrees

Game 2
George Washington 5, Virginia 2 (Mar 09, 2016 at Washington, DC)
———————————————————————-
Virginia………… 000 010 1 – 2 4 2 (8-15)
George Washington… 002 021 X – 5 4 0 (6-7)
———————————————————————-
Pitchers: Virginia – ; Erika Osherow(5) and Olivia Gott; Katie Park. George Washington – Kovalsky, P. and Leal-Robles.
Win-Kovalsky, P.(2-3) Loss-Lacy Smith(1-4) T-1:44 A-51
HR VA – Madison Labshere.
HR GW – Gray, C. (1).
Weather: Sunny, 81 degrees