Virginia Opens ACC Championships Wednesday

Watch | Live Stats | Game Notes

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia softball (22-30, 8-16 ACC) begins its ACC Softball Championships on Wednesday, May 8 at 3:30 p.m. against the No. 7 seed Georgia Tech (30-26, 11-13 ACC). The Cavaliers earned the No. 10 seed in the tournament, which is being played at JoAnne Graf Field in Tallahassee, Fla.
 
The winner of Wednesday’s first-round matchup will advance to face two-seed and host Florida State on Thursday (May 9).
 
GAME COVERAGE
The first three rounds will be broadcast on the league’s Regional Sports Networks, and ESPN will carry the championship game. Wednesday’s game will be streamed on FoxSportsGo. Fans can also follow along with live stats throughout the weekend. Links to the broadcast and live stats are available on VirginiaSports.com.
 
TICKETS 
Daily tickets are available at $5 for adults, $8 for reserved seating and $3 for youth. Admission is free for fans under 2 years old. All-session tickets are $15 for adults, $25 for reserved seating and $10 for youth. Tickets can be purchased online: https://theacc.co/SB19ChampTix.
 
BACK IN THE POSTSEASON
• Virginia returns to the ACC Tournament for the second time in three seasons under coach Joanna Hardin.
• UVA’s 2017 trip snapped a three-year hiatus for the program.
• The Cavaliers are in search of their first ACC Tournament victory since 2011, when UVA became the only No. 8 seed to ever defeat the No. 1 seed in the tourney. Virginia’s upset came against Georgia Tech in a 6-0 win.
 
WHAT A SEND-OFF
• In its final game ever at The Park, Virginia closed the facility in style by no-hitting Hampton.
• Graduate student Allyson Frei (Branchville, N.J.) tossed the first no-hitter in her career and the first solo no-hitter by a Virginia pitcher since 2009.
• In nearly 480 games at The Park over 25 years, the facility saw just three Cavalier no-hitters.
 
TIME IS RIGHT
• Virginia closed the regular season on a five-game winning streak to play its way into the ACC Tournament.
• Following the sweep of NC State, the Cavaliers wrapped the regular season with a pair of wins against Hampton.
• In the five-game stretch, the Hoos scored 44 runs –that’s the second-most in a five-game stretch this season.
• This is the first time since 1994 the Cavaliers have closed the regular season on a five-game winning streak.
 
WHAT’S THE BUZZ
• Sophomore Hayley Busby (Phoenix, Ariz.) is riding a 13-game hitting streak, a career-long for the third baseman. In each of the last six games, Busby has recorded multiple hits.
• She now has 11 homers on the year. Busby is one of 14 Cavaliers to ever hit 10 homers in a single season.
• She’s hit two home runs in a game twice this season.
• Busby has recorded 17 doubles on the season thus far, setting a career high. The mark is also sixth-most all-time at UVA.
• She is tied atop the ACC in doubles and 23rd nationally.
• Busby’s 17 doubles are two shy of matching the Virginia single-season record.
 
SMITH’S SINGLE-SEASON MARKS
• Senior Lacy Smith (Lancaster, Pa.) ended the regular season with nine marks inside the UVA single-season top 10.
• She set the school record with 15 home runs.
• At .788 slugging, Smith currently sits atop the UVA record book.
• Her .413 batting average stands third all-time at Virginia and she sits 10th with 66 hits.
• The senior is tied for eighth all-time with 43 RBI this season, most by a Cavalier since 2010.
• Her 126 total bases rank fourth at UVA and are just six away from matching the record.
• Her .463 on-base percentage is good for 10th.
• Smith’s 13 multi-RBI games ranks fourth.
• Her 30 extra base hits stand fourth alongside Busby.
 
VIRGINIA VS. GEORGIA TECH
• The Cavaliers and Yellow Jackets met in the second ACC series of the season with Georgia Tech taking two-of-three in Atlanta.
• Virginia salvaged Sunday’s game, earning a 7-1 win to end the series.
• Freshman Tori Gilbert (Mechanicsville, Va.) produced the big hit, a three-run home run in Sunday’s victory.
• Frei tossed a complete game, scattering six hits and allowing just the lone run in the win.
 
IN THE ACC TOURNAMENT
• Virginia and Georgia Tech meet for the 18th time in the ACC Tournament on Wednesday.
• Georgia Tech is the second-most common opponent for the Cavaliers in the ACC tourney and is one of three active members UVA has faced over 10 times.
• Virginia is 8-9 against Georgia Tech in ACC Tournament action.
• The two teams last met in the ACC Tournament in 2012 in Chapel Hill, N.C., where Georgia Tech earned a 6-4 win in the opening round.
• Virginia’s most-recent ACC Tournament win came against Georgia Tech back in 2011. The Cavaliers upset the top-seeded Yellow Jackets to become the only No. 8 seed to ever beat the No. 1 in the tournament.
 
For more information on the 2019 ACC Softball Championship, visit the 2019 ACC Softball Championship Page.