Virginia Grabs Series Win At Pittsburgh
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Box Score March 26, 2016
Box Score – Game 1| Box Score – Game 2
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The long ball proved problematic in game one for the Cavaliers, but proved to be the difference maker in game two as Virginia (11-23, 2-7 ACC) split a doubleheader at Pittsburgh (19-11, 3-6 ACC) on Saturday.
Virginia dropped the first game 11-3, but used two home runs to grab a 4-2 win in game two of the afternoon. The win in the finale secured the series win for Virginia after grabbing the win in the opening game of the weekend on Friday.
The series win is the first series win on the road in ACC play for the Cavaliers since March of 2012 when Virginia won the series at Boston College.
Virginia will return to action with three games at home in the midweek before returning to the road in ACC play at Boston College next weekend. The Cavaliers host Radford in a single game at 5 p.m. Tuesday (March 29) and No. 9 James Madison in a doubleheader at 4 p.m. on Wednesday (March 30).
Game 1
Pittsburgh 11, Virginia 3 (6 Innings)
A tight contest turned the way of the Panthers late as the home team used four home runs down the stretch to pick up the win in the first game of the doubleheader.
Lacy Smith (Lancaster, Pa.) suffered the loss for the Cavaliers, falling to 2-6 on the season, She allowed five runs – three earned – on two hits with two walks and a strikeout in 2.1 innings of work.
Kayla Harris (10-8) picked up the win for Virginia as she allowed three runs on four hits with two walks in 3.2 innings of work.
Virginia got on the board in the first inning when Iyana Hughes (Manteca, Calif.) scored on a sac fly to center from Kaitlin Fitzgerald (Placentia, Calif.) to give the Cavaliers the 1-0 lead. Hughes battled through an at bat to draw a walk before stealing second. A sac bunt moved her to third before the Fitzgerald fly ball brought her home.
A fielding error at third started the bottom of the second for Pitt and opened the door for a rally. Following a fly out, a second error on a bunt back to the pitcher allowed a second runner to reach and both advanced into scoring position. Virginia got a second out, but Erin Hershman came through with a two-RBI single to left center to put the Panthers in front 2-1 after two complete.
Virginia tied things up in the third when Allie Arneson (Aledo, Texas) beat out an infield single to short, allowing Aimee Chapdelaine (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) to score from third. Chapdelaine singled to open the inning, stole second and took third on a groundout before the Arneson hit.
Pitt loaded the bases to start the home half of the third before a sac fly to left put the Panthers back in the lead and left two runners in scoring position. Virginia intentionally loaded the bases following the sac fly to set up a double play opportunity and force plays all around. A walk pushed a second run home, however, and the Panthers took the 4-2 lead on the Cavaliers.
A wild pitch brought a third run home and Virginia pulled Allison Davis (Oak Hill, Va.) to the circle. Davis had a runner out and two runners in scoring position. She immediately struck out the first batter faced looking before a groundout got Virginia out of the inning down 5-2.
Davis then helped her cause, ripping an RBI single up the middle in the top of the fourth to score Fitzgerald who opened the inning with a single. Virginia trailed 5-3 heading to the bottom of the fourth.
Pitt got a trio of solo home runs in the fourth to extend the lead out to 8-3, before a run in the fifth and another solo shot to open the sixth would take the lead out to 10-3 for the home team.
Pitt closed things out with a final run in the sixth to pick up the run-rule victory.
Game 2
Virginia 4, Pittsburgh 2
The Cavaliers got a pair of home runs to build a four-run lead in the second game of the day and Virginia needed each run to secure the series win. A three-run shot from Hughes with two outs in the seventh provided the insurance the Cavaliers would need to lock up the win.
Erika Osherow (Darien, Conn.) picked up the win to improve to 8-14 on the season. She allowed two runs – only one earned – on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts in the complete-game effort.
Jenna Modic (2-3) took the loss for the Panthers, allowing the four runs on six hits with a walk and three strikeouts.
Virginia got on the board first for the third straight game, taking a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Davis hit a line drive home run to center field.
The lead grew to 4-0 in the seventh when Hughes delivered her two-out, three-run shot off the scoreboard in left field.
Pitt put together an answering two-out rally in the home half of the seventh, putting two on base before Maggie Sevilla hit a single through the right side to cut the lead to 4-2. Virginia got out of the inning as Osherow coaxed a pop up to short in the next at bat and the Cavaliers grabbed the series win.
Game 1
Pittsburgh 11, Virginia 3 (Mar 26, 2016 at Pittsburgh, Pa.) (Game 1)
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Virginia………… 101 100 – 3 4 3 (10-23, 1-7 ACC)
Pittsburgh………. 023 312 – 11 10 1 (19-10, 3-5 ACC)
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Pitchers: Virginia – ; Allison Davis(3) and Olivia Gott; Katie Park. Pittsburgh – K. Harris; J. Modic(4) and S. Pickett.
Win-K. Harris(10-8) Save-J. Modic(2) Loss-Lacy Smith(2-6) T-1:55 A-243
HR UP – M. Sevilla (6); M. Taylor 2 (6); O. Gray (2).
Weather: Sunny & 40
Game 2
Virginia 4, Pittsburgh 2 (Mar 26, 2016 at Pittsburgh, Pa.) (Game 2)
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Virginia………… 001 000 3 – 4 6 2 (11-23, 2-7 ACC)
Pittsburgh………. 000 000 2 – 2 5 2 (19-11, 3-6 ACC)
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Pitchers: Virginia – and Katie Park. Pittsburgh – K. Harris; J. Modic(1) and S. Pickett.
Win-Erika Osherow(8-14) Loss-J. Modic(2-3) T-1:45 A-306
HR VA – Iyana Hughes; .
Weather: 55 and Sunny