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Softball
Virginia Comeback Falls Short in Home Finale
April 25, 2018
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – James Madison (34-10) staved off a furious Virginia (12-36) comeback in the late innings to hold on for a 6-4 victory over the Cavaliers in the final game at The Park this season.
Erika Osherow (Darien, Conn.) and Allison Davis (Oak Hill, Va.) each launched home runs for the Cavaliers, but Virginia fell one hit shy of tying the game in the final inning. Allison Davis finished the evening 2-for-4 at the plate for her fifth consecutive multi-hit game.
James Madison took the early lead in the second inning. A pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases before Morgan Tolle singled home a pair of runs. An RBI-groundout and a two-run double from Jessica Mrozek made it 5-0 in favor of the Dukes.
The Cavaliers pulled a pair of runs back in the bottom half. An error on a hard-hit ball allowed Lacy Smith (Lancaster, Pa.) to reach and Osherow bounced a two-run home run off the top of the center field wall.
After a sacrifice fly built James Madison’s lead to 6-2, the Cavaliers rallied back in the fifth. Allison Davis pulled a run back as she sent a solo home run bounding off both the top of the wall and the left field foul pole to make it 6-3. The home run was a team-leading 11th of the season for Allison Davis.
An error and a double from Olivia Gott (Weston, Fla.) put Hoos on second and third to restart the inning. Danni Ingraham (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) followed and cut the deficit to 6-4 with a sacrifice fly to right.
Virginia had chances to complete the comeback in both the sixth and seventh innings. A pair of singles, one from Ashlee Davis (Gilbert, Ariz.) and the other from Allison Davis put runners on the corners in the sixth. That threat was quelled by a pop up to second base, ending the inning.
The seventh saw Gott rifle a line drive over the third-base bag for her second double of the night. An infield single from Smith put two aboard before a passed ball move the tying runs into scoring position. Ashlee Davis stepped to the plate with two outs and drove a line drive into left field, but it tracked directly to the Dukes’ left fielder, who was playing on the warning track.
Tabby Dabney (Mechanicsville, Va.) was charged with the loss. Osherow worked five strong innings in relief, scattering a pair of hits while allowing a single run. She also struck out five in the outing.
UP NEXT
Virginia heads to Duke for the Cavaliers’ final Atlantic Coast Conference series of the season. The series opener is set for a 5 p.m. first pitch on Friday (April 27).