Softball Hits Five Home Runs in Doubleheader Split

Feb. 17, 2017

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CHARLESTON, S.C. — Virginia (3-4) experienced a power surge, belting five home runs in two games in a doubleheader split with ETSU (4-2) and Charleston Southern (3-5). The Cavaliers run-ruled ETSU, 11-3 in five innings before dropping a 4-3 decision to Charleston Southern.

Junior Allison Davis (Oak Hill, Va.) hit a long ball in each game, bumping her season total up to three. Olivia Gott (Weston, Fla.), McKall Miller (Ashburn, Va.) and Danni Ingraham (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) all went deep for the Cavaliers. Against ETSU, Virginia blasted a season-high, three homers.

For the second time this season, Virginia exploded for seven runs in a single inning, posting a seven-spot in fifth against ETSU. Seven of the nine batters in the lineup accounted for a hit in the first contest of the day.

Virginia had its comeback fall short in the nightcap. The tying run was on first base in the top of the seventh before CSU’s Cheyanne Gandara recorded her third strikeout to end the game. The right-hander tossed all seven innings and did not walk a batter.

Virginia will wrap up its stay in Charleston with a doubleheader with ETSU and UNCW beginning at 9:00 a.m.

Game 1 — ETSU

Virginia scored three unearned runs in the bottom of the second inning and never looked back. Allison Davis hit a solo shot to left field, to help grab an initial 3-0 advantage.

Home runs by Ingraham and Gott in consecutive innings blew the game open. Gott put the game out of reach in the top of the fourth with a three-run home run over the centerfield wall to make the score, 11-0. The seven-run frame included RBI doubles from Iyana Hughes (Manteca, Calif.) and Kaitlin Fitzgerald (Placentia, Calif.)

Hughes was the game’s lone multi-hit performer by going 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI.

Game 2 — Charleston Southern

The Cavaliers spotted Charleston Southern four runs before scoring three in the top of the fifth inning. McKall Miller led the inning off with her third home run of the year. Davis followed up three batters later and cracked a two-run shot with two outs to pull the Cavaliers within a run.

Miller and Davis are tied for the team lead with three home runs on the season.

A two-run home run by Charleston Southern’s Brittany McPherson in the bottom of the fourth inning proved to be the difference in the game.

In another stark defensive highlight, Hughes kept the game scoreless in the second inning with her second outfield assist of the season, cutting down CSU’s Stevi Johnson at the plate. Hughes throw from centerfield was scooped by catcher Katie Park who then applied the run-saving tag.