Virginia Drops Two Games at UNCG Invitational

Feb. 25, 2018

Box Score Game One | Box Score Game Two

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Olivia Gott (Weston, Fla.) racked up four hits, including her first home run of the season, but Virginia (6-9) dropped a pair of games on the final day of the UNCG Invitational.

A late rally in the opening game fell short in a 9-7 loss to Seton Hall before the Cavaliers dropped a 5-0 decision to UNCG.

GAME ONE | SETON HALL 9 – VIRGINIA 7

Virginia struck in the top of the first to take the early lead. Danni Ingraham (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) started a string of three consecutive singles with two outs to plate the run. Hayley Busby (Phoenix, Ariz.) followed with a single of her own before Gott plated a run with her RBI single.

Seton Hall responded with three runs in the bottom half. Starting pitcher Tabby Dabney (Mechanicsville, Va.) issued a leadoff walk before the Pirates put two aboard with a bunt single. The Hoos turned to the bullpen and Lacy Smith (Lancaster, Pa.), who entered with a 2-1 count on the batter, surrendered a three-run home run on her first pitch.

UVA cut the lead to one in the top of the fourth with a single run on three hits. Gott and Kate Covington (McLean, Va.) each singled to set the table. Molly Keshin (New Canaan, Conn.) laid down a bunt single and an errant throw skipped into right field allowing a run to score.

With the deficit cut to 3-2, the Hoos allowed three runs in the bottom half as Seton Hall pulled away. Four singles and a double combined to plate the three runs for the Pirates, who extended the lead to 6-2.

Gott pulled one back in the fifth as she launched a solo home run off the scoreboard in right center. Again, Seton Hall had the answer, scoring twice in the fifth off of reliever Erika Osherow (Darien, Conn.) to make it an 8-3 game.

Virginia clawed back with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth as two doubles helped make it an 8-5 game. Covington led off with a single before Allison Davis (Oak Hill, Va.) and Smith produced back-to-back doubles. Smith’s drove home a pair for her 14th and 15th RBIs of the year.

After Seton Hall added an insurance marker to make it 9-5, the Hoos scored a pair in the top of the seventh and put the tying run on base but fell short of completing the comeback. Gott walked to start the rally before Madi Traver (Coppell, Texas) singled to put two aboard. A fielding error allowed a run to score before Keshin singled home another.

With two outs and two aboard, a pop fly ended the comeback as the Cavaliers fell 9-7. Dabney (0-2) took the loss for Virginia while Reganne Camp (4-2) earned the win for Seton Hall.

GAME TWO | UNCG 5 – VIRGINIA 0

UNCG jumped out to an early lead as a two-out double was followed by a two-run home run to give the Spartans a 2-0 lead after the first.

Virginia had its chances as the Hoos put runners aboard in each of the first four innings. The best scoring chances came in the second and third innings for the Hoos. A single from Busby and a walk put two aboard with no outs in the second, but two fly balls kept the Cavaliers off the board.

Back-to-back, two-out singles in the third gave the Hoos another runner in scoring position. A long at-bat ended with a ground ball back to the pitcher, ending the threat. In the bottom half of the frame, UNCG tacked on another run with a pair of singles to extend the lead to 3-0.

Ashlee Davis (Gilbert, Ariz.) led off the fourth with her first double of the season. She was left stranded at second after three quick outs to end the inning. The Hoos ended the game just 1-for-11 with runners on base and 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position

The Spartans tacked another pair of runs onto their lead with four hits in the fifth. Smith (3-3) was chased from the circle in the inning, finishing the game with five earned runs of seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Stephanie Bryden (4-1) earned the victory for UNCG, working three innings of one-hit ball in relief.

UP NEXT

After opening the season with 15-straight games on the road, Virginia hosts Campbell Wednesday (Feb. 28) at 5 p.m. in the home opener at The Park. Admission is free to all Virginia softball home games in 2018.