Virginia Hosts Duke in Crucial ACC Series

Watch (Fri. & Sun.) | Live Stats | Game Notes

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – After winning 10 of its last 12 games, Virginia softball (15-11, 4-2 ACC) returns home to The Park for a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series against Duke (12-17, 3-3 ACC) beginning Friday (March 22).
 
The Cavaliers and Blue Devils are meeting for the second time on the softball diamond, after Duke swept the first series in Durham a year ago.
 
Admission to all Virginia softball home games is free in 2019.
 
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday, March 22 – 5 p.m.
Saturday, March 23 – 1 p.m.
Sunday, March 24 – Noon
 
GAME COVERAGE
The Friday and Sunday games will air on ACC Network Extra, while all three games of the series will have live stats. Links to both the broadcasts and live stats are available on VirginiaSports.com.
 
HOOS SINGLES
• Virginia downed Maryland 7-1 on Tuesday to win its 10th game in its past 12 tries.
• The Cavaliers enter the weekend tied for third in the ACC at 4-2, one game ahead of Duke.
• Senior Lacy Smith (Lancaster, Pa.) carries a school-record 16-game hitting streak into the series.
• Freshman Tori Gilbert (Mechanicsville, Va.) has hit three-run home runs in each of the past two games.
• Freshman Clare Zureich (Cary, N.C.) worked a career-high five innings of no-hit softball to earn the win at Maryland on Tuesday.
 
GILBERT GOING, GOING, GONE
• The freshman left fielder Gilbert has made the most of her recent opportunity to move into the starting lineup.
• In her past 10 games, she has gone 9-for-25 (.360) with 10 runs scored.
• She sparked Virginia in Sunday’s win at Georgia Tech with her first career home run, a three-run shot in the second inning.
• Gilbert also unloaded a three-run shot in Virginia’s 7-1 win at Maryland on March 19, giving her back-to-back games with a three-run homer.
• Gilbert has struck out just four times in that stretch after having four in her first six collegiate at-bats.
 
SMITH’S STATS
• Smith has already set career highs in hits (41), home runs (11) and RBI (29) this season.
• She ranks 10th in the country in home runs and slugging percentage (.941).
• If the season ended today, Smith’s .482 batting average would rank third all-time in ACC history.
• Smith could go hitless for her next 87 at-bats and still have a career-high batting average.
• The senior is two home runs away from tying the school record for single-season blasts.
 
THAT ACC START
• Virginia’s 4-2 start in ACC play is the best for the Cavaliers since opening 6-0 in 2010.
• It’s only the fourth time this century that Virginia has opened league action with a 4-2 mark or better.
• Virginia sits third in the ACC standings after the first two weeks of play.
 
IN THE RANKINGS
• Virginia ranks 17th in the country in HR/G averaging 1.35. The mark is third in the ACC.
• Virginia is 24th in slugging percentage at .518 on the season.
• Smith ranks 10th nationally in home runs and is second in the ACC with her 11 blasts.
• At .941, Smith is 10th in the country and leads the ACC in slugging percentage.
• Smith is 11th in the country with her 41 hits this season.
 
WHAT’S AT STAKE
• A series victory would mark the first time Virginia has opened ACC play by taking two of its first three series since 2012.
• A series victory would also mark the first time Virginia captured six of its first nine ACC games since 2010.
• A single victory over the weekend would keep the Cavaliers above .500 in ACC action.
 
VERSUS DUKE
• Virginia and Duke meet for the second time after the Blue Devils started their program in 2018.
• Duke swept the first series in Durham.
• In the 2018 series, Duke held Virginia to just four runs in the three-game set.
 
UP NEXT
Virginia travels to Radford on Tuesday (March 29) for a midweek contest before welcoming third-ranked Florida State to The Park next weekend.