Late Game Heroics Fuel Softball to First Two Wins

Feb. 11, 2017

WMU Box Score | PDF | UTEP Box Score | PDF

TEMPE, Ariz. — The Virginia softball team (2-2) collected a pair of come-from-behind victories on day two of the Kajikawa Classic by defeating Western Michigan, 9-8 in eight innings and UTEP, 5-4. The thrilling extra inning win over WMU was Head Coach Joanna Hardin’s first at Virginia.

The Cavaliers erased a 7-0 Western Michigan lead and scored nine unanswered runs in a 9-8, eight-inning victory. In the nightcap against UTEP, Allison Davis (Oak Hill, Va.) drove in the tying and go-ahead runs with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning.

As a team, Virginia hit three home runs on the day including back-to-back shots by Davis and Katie Park (Scottsdale, Ariz.) in the marathon sixth inning against Western Michigan. Davis was 4-for-9 with a home run and five RBIs in two games. She also pitched the final two innings and to pick up her first win of the year.

The Hoos got an outstanding performance in the circle from Erika Osherow (Darien, Conn.) in the nightcap against UTEP. The sophomore tossed a complete game and earned her first victory of the season. She struck out three batters and allowed just two earned runs.

Virginia will conclude its stay in Tempe on Saturday (Feb. 11) with a matchup against San Jose State at 11:30 a.m. ET.

Game 1 — Western Michigan

The Cavaliers were poised for a breakout inning after putting the lead-off batter on in both the fourth and fifth innings. Finally, in the sixth UVA sent 10 batters to the plate and erupted for seven runs. Olivia Gott (Weston, Fla.) produced the Cavaliers first two runs of the rally with an RBI single to center field that scored Osherow and Danni Ingraham (Laguna Niguel, Calif.). After closing the gap to 7-3, Davis and Park hit back-to-back home runs ultimately tying the game at seven.

A Western Michigan miscue in the top of the half the eighth inning allowed Osherow, who was placed at second via the international tiebreaker rule, to score the go-ahead run. Gott came around to score what proved to be the game-winning run on a sacrifice fly by Iyana Hughes (Manteca, Calif.).

Game 2 — UTEP

Virginia overcame two UTEP leads in the contest and finally put the game away with a three-run rally in the sixth inning. McKall Miller (Ashburn, Va.) led the frame off with her second home run in as many days to make the score 4-3 in favor of the Miners. The senior is batting .455 and is tied for the team lead with five RBIs.

Gott and Madison Labshere (El Cajon, Calif.) each drew one-out walks to put the go-ahead run on first base. With two outs, Davis drove a 3-2 pitch down the left field line that allowed both runs to score and gave the Cavaliers their first lead since the bottom of the first inning.

The UTEP pitching staff struggled with control and issued seven free passes in the contest. The two Cavalier runs in the first inning were forced in by a bases-loaded walk and hit by pitch.