Softball Travels to Radford Wednesday

March 7, 2017

RADFORD, Va. – Virginia (9-10) will play its first midweek contest of the season on Wednesday afternoon at Radford University (8-6). The single-game takes the place of a doubleheader originally scheduled for Tuesday (March 6).

The non-conference matchup is slated for 2:00 p.m. and will be streamed live on the Big South Network. The game can also be followed via live stats courtesy Radford athletic communications.

The Cavaliers look to bounce back after a very competitive series against Virginia Tech in Charlottesville this past weekend. In the first two games against the Hokies, the two teams combined for eight lead changes and four ties. The middle game of the three-game set ended with a pinch-hit, walk-off single by Kaitlin Fitzgerald.

The matchup of the top two home run hitting teams in Atlantic Coast Conference did not disappoint. The Cavaliers and the Hokies left the yard a total of 12 times in three games. Virginia has hit an ACC-high, 25 on the season and is more than halfway to last year’s total through just 19 games. The Cavaliers are hitting 1.28 home runs per game, the 11^th most in the country.

Senior Katie Park is one of two Cavaliers over the .400 mark at the plate this spring. She currently leads the team with 24 hits and is tied for second on the club with 12 runs scored. Her fourth home run of the season came in the bottom of the seventh on Saturday to tie the game up at eight.

Over the last five games, fellow senior Olivia Gott has been the team’s hottest hitter coming into Wednesday right at the .400 mark. In the Virginia Tech series, she went 4-for-7 (.571) with a double, home run and two RBIs. She scored the game-winning run in Saturday’s walk-off thriller.

Last season, Radford and Virginia split a pair of games while competing in the UNCW tournament in early March. The Cavaliers won the rubber game in Charlottesville a little less than a month later, 5-2. Erika Osherow established a season-high with eight strikeouts in a complete-game victory.

Since 2000, Cavaliers and Highlanders have met 18 times in which both teams have won nine games.

Radford won its final two games at the USC Upstate Invite with victories over Furman and Youngstown State. Pitcher Abby Morrow has won consecutive Big South Pitcher of the Week awards and allowed just one run in two complete games in Sunday’s doubleheader sweep.

Virginia returns home this Friday (March 10) to host its second-consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference weekend series when it hosts Boston College. First pitch on Friday evening is set for 5:00 p.m. at The Park. Admission to all Virginia home games is free.