Virginia Wins Series Opener At Pittsburgh
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Box Score March 25, 2016
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Cavaliers built on a three-run first inning Friday to gather their first ACC victory of the season as Virginia (10-22, 1-6 ACC) defeated Pittsburgh (18-10, 2-5 ACC) by a score of 8-5 in the series opener.
Allie Arneson (Aledo, Texas) and McKall Miller (Ashburn, Va,) homered in the fourth and fifth innings to build on the Cavalier lead after Virginia scored three runs in the opening inning.
Erika Osherow (Darien, Conn.) picked up the win as she went the distance to help the Cavaliers secure the first ACC win of the season. She is 7-14 on the season after allowing five runs – four earned – on 12 hits with two strikeouts.
Kayla Harris (9-8) took the loss for the Panthers, allowing eight runs – six of them earned – on nine hits. She walked two and did not strike out a batter in her 4.1 innings of work.
The Cavaliers and Panthers will close out the series with a doubleheader beginning at noon on Saturday.
Iyana Hughes (Manteca, Calif.) doubled to open the game, took third on a sac bunt and then slid under the tag at home on a fielder’s choice from Katilin Fitzgerald (Placentia, Calif.). Fitzgerald took second on a passed ball, then scored on a fielding error in right field off a fly ball from Katie Park (Scottsdale, Ariz.). Allison Davis (Oak Hill, Va.) then tripled to right to score Park and the Cavaliers had the 3-0 lead after the top of the first.
The Cavaliers built on the lead in the fourth inning when Arneson hit her two-run shot to straight away center that put Virginia on top 5-0.
Pitt got a leadoff double off the wall in center to start the home half of the fourth, sparking a rally for the Panthers. A single followed and put runners at the corners before a throwing error on a double steal allowed Pitt’s runner on third to come home. A groundout and a single brought a second run home before Virginia would get out of the inning with a 5-2 lead.
The Cavaliers got the runs back and added one in the fifth inning when Miller hit her three-run shot. The pinch hitting Miller came to the plate with Aimee Chapdelaine (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) pinch running at second and Madison Labshere (El Cajon, Calif.) on first and one out on the board.
Miller’s three-run shot sent Pitt to the bullpen for Jenna Modic in relief of Harris. Modic got a strikeout and a groundout to end the inning, but the Cavaliers led 8-2.
Pittsburgh took advantage of a throwing error on a single to left field to spark another rally in the home half of the fifth. With a runner on second, Shelby Pickett hit a two run shot to center field to cut the Cavalier lead in half.
A double to right center and a one-out single through the right side pushed a third run home as the Panthers chipped away at the Virginia lead. The Cavaliers got out of the inning with an 8-5 lead on Pitt.
The Cavaliers buckled down through the final two frames, putting zeros on the board to pick up the series-opening win 8-5.
Virginia 8, Pittsburgh 5 (Mar 25, 2016 at Pittsburgh, Pa.)
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Virginia………… 300 230 0 – 8 11 3 (10-22, 1-6 ACC)
Pittsburgh………. 000 230 0 – 5 12 3 (18-10, 2-5 ACC)
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Pitchers: Virginia – and Katie Park. Pittsburgh – K. Harris; J. Modic(5) and S. Pickett.
Win-Erika Osherow(7-14) Loss-K. Harris(9-8) T-2:04 A-125
HR VA – Allie Arneson (2); McKall Miller (2).
HR UP – S. Pickett (3).
Weather: 43 and Overcast