Virginia Sweeps Pitt with Pair of Walk-Off Wins

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia softball (11-9, 3-0 ACC) used a pair of walk-off victories on Sunday (March 10) to sweep Pittsburgh (3-18, 0-3 ACC) in the first Atlantic Coast Conference series of the season. The Cavaliers captured game one 7-6 and followed with a dramatic seventh-inning comeback to earn a 5-4 victory in the finale.
 
The sweep marks the first time since 2012 that Virginia has opened ACC play 3-0.
 
GAME 1: Virginia 7, Pitt 6
Virginia clinched the series with a come-from-behind, walk-off win in the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader.
 
Clare Zureich (Cary, N.C.) worked 3 2/3 innings in relief and scattered three hits to earn the win. The southpaw struck out one and did not issue a walk in improving to 2-0 on the season.
 
KEY INNING
The final frame saw Pitt put a runner at third with one out, but Zureich worked out of the jam with a pop-up and ground ball to short. Like Pitt, Virginia put a runner at third with one out as Molly Keshin (New Canaan, Conn.) pinch-ran and swiped second before advancing to third on a throwing error. She was cut down, however, on a ground ball back to the pitcher.
 
With two outs, freshman Tori Gilbert (Powhatan, Va.) flared a single to right field and the Panther defenders lost the ball in their feet, allowing Ashlee Davis (Gilbert, Ariz.) to race around from first for the dramatic victory.

TOUCHING HOME
• Lacy Smith (Lancaster, Pa.) launched a 3-0 pitch into the flags lining the outfield wall to give Virginia a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
• Pitt took the lead in the top of the second on Levesque’s two-out double that scored three runs.
• Kate Covington (McLean, Va.) pulled Virginia within one run with a solo shot in the bottom of the second.
• Arizona Ritchie (Stafford, Va.) tied the game in the third with the third solo home run by a Cavalier on the day.
• Katlyn Pavlick put the Panthers back in front with a solo homer in the top of the fourth and Pitt tacked on two more to build a 6-3 lead. 
• Smith pulled Virginia back within a run with a 2-out single to right, scoring a pair of runs.
• Virginia leveled once again on a Hayley Busby (Phoenix, Ariz.) solo home run in the sixth.

ON THE LINES
• Both Busby and Covington finished the game 3-for-4 at the plate with a home run.
• Smith matched her career high with her eighth home run of the season and added three RBI in a 2-for-3 performance.
• Olivia Gott (Weston, Fla.) also went 2-for-3 in the game.
• Gilbert finished 2-for-4 to record her first multi-hit game as a Cavalier.
 
GAME 2: Virginia 5, Pitt 4
Virginia overcame a Pitt triple play and scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to complete the sweep. Allyson Frei (Branchville, N.J.) worked two innings in relief to earn the victory in the circle for the Cavaliers.
 
KEY INNING
Trailing 4-2 entering the final frame, Virginia used back-to-back home runs to tie the game in just 13 pitches. Erika Osherow (Darien, Conn.) and Kate Covington provided the game-tying homers, both going deep to left field. A walk and an error on a sacrifice bunt put two Hoos aboard with no outs.
 
The game ended as Hayley Busby laid down a bunt single and the throw to first bounced away, allowing pinch-runner Emma McBride (Magnolia, Texas) to score from second.
 
TOUCHING HOME
• Gabrielle Fredericks put Pitt on the board first with a solo home run in the top of the second.
• Katlyn Pavlick added another solo homer in the second to push Pitt’s lead to 2-0.
• Lacy Smith and Olivia Gott each produced two-out, RBI-singles to bring Virginia back even at 2-2 after three innings of play.
• Pitt loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the sixth and scored a pair of runs on a throwing error and single to take a 4-2 lead.
• Virginia scored three times in the seventh to earn its second walk-off of the day, led by homers from Osherow and Covington.
 
ON THE LINES
• Aly Rayle made the start and tossed 4 2/3 solid innings. She allowed two solo home runs while striking out a pair.
• Eight Cavaliers had a hit in the game, led by a 2-for-3 performance from Osherow.
• Smith notched her team-leading 23rd RBI of the season.
 
UP NEXT
Virginia hits the road to take on Charlotte on Tuesday (March 12) before facing Furman on Wednesday (March 13). The Cavaliers return to ACC play next weekend at Georgia Tech.