Virginia Drops Two to End Season

May 1, 2018

Box Score Game 1 | Box Score Game 2

LYNCHBURG, Va. — The 2018 Virginia (12-41) softball season drew to a close with 3-2 and 7-0 losses in Tuesday (May 1) night’s doubleheader at Liberty (41-12).

Along with the end of the season, Tuesday also denotes the end of Virginia careers for seniors Allison Davis (Oak Hill, Va.) and Danni Ingraham (Laguna Niguel, Calif.). Both seniors will finish their four years in the top five all-time in home runs, along with numerous other top 10 marks.

GAME ONE | Liberty 3 — Virginia 2

Liberty opened the scoring in the first. The Flames used a high chopper that tipped off an outstretched glove at third to get a runner aboard. Three-straight walks pushed the first run of the night across as the Flames took a 1-0 lead.

The Cavaliers responded in the third inning, scoring twice to take a 2-1 lead. Allison Davis fought off a pair of two-strike pitches before lacing a single into right center. Hayley Busby (Phoenix, Ariz.) jumped an 0-1 offering and sent a towering shot over the left field wall. The home run was the freshman’s fifth of the season, giving her 31 RBI on the year.

The lead was short-lived, as Liberty tied the game on Madison Via’s two-out, RBI-single through the right side in the bottom half.

A leadoff triple in the fifth led to Liberty retaking the lead. Jaclyn Amader dropped the three-bagger just inside the right field line and later scored on a groundout.

The Hoos would get the tying run aboard in the top of the seventh, but Julia DiMartino (23-7) shutdown the threat with a groundout.

Lacy Smith (Lancaster, Pa.) pitched all six innings for the Cavaliers. She allowed the three runs, all earned on nine hits.

GAME TWO | Liberty 7 – Virginia 0

The Flames jumped out to an early lead again in game two. A leadoff walk turned into two bases, as Autumn Bishop caught the Cavaliers sleeping and raced to second while the ball was being retrieved. She would come across the plate on a groundout later in the inning.

Liberty tacked on three more in the third, sparking the inning with a bunt single. Another single and error put runners at second and third with two outs. Amader looped a two-run single to left before scoring on Sarah Robertson’s double.

Three infield singles in the bottom of the fourth expanded the Flames’ lead to 5-0. Liberty would add a pair of runs off reliever Tabby Dabney (Mechanicsville, Va.) in the fifth, making it a 7-0 game.

Meanwhile, the Cavaliers were limited to just five hits in game two. Despite several hard-hit balls off Liberty pitcher Chase Cassidy, Virginia was held scoreless in the loss. Perhaps the hardest hit ball of the nightcap belonged to Ashley Jennings (Forest, Va.), who ripped a seventh-inning double into the left center gap. She was left stranded there to end the evening.

Erika Osherow (Darien, Conn.) started in the circle and took the loss for the Cavaliers. She allowed four runs, all earned in three innings. Lexi Mettler (Turlock, Calif.) worked 1 2/3 inning of scoreless softball in relief.