Virginia Drops Midweek Contest With Liberty

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia softball team (11-19) dropped a midweek contest with Liberty (23-12) on Tuesday (April 6), falling by a score of 12-3 in six innings at Palmer Park.

Clare Zureich (0-4) took the loss in the start, allowing four runs on five hits in her 3.0 innings of work. Zureich (Cary, N.C.) struck out three and did not walk a batter.

McKenzie Wagoner (4-2) picked up the win in relief, closing out the final 2.1 innings as she allowed a hit and struck out two without surrendering a run. Emily Kirby made the start for Liberty, working 2.1 innings and allowing one run on one hit with three walks and four strikeouts.

Liberty jumped out to the early lead, pushing home a pair of runs in both the first and third innings.

Virginia responded in the bottom of the third, getting an RBI single from Abby Weaver (Roanoke, Va.) to drive in Gabby Baylog (Waxhaw, N.C.) from third. Baylog walked to lead off the inning before a second walk moved her to second and a sac bunt pushed her to third for the Weaver hit. Virginia would go on to load the bases, but the Flames made the plays defensively to get out of the inning.

Liberty extended the lead in the fourth with a three-run home run, but Virginia would get two back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning thanks to an RBI double from Arizona Ritchie (Stafford, Va.) and a bases-loaded walk from Emma McBride (Magnolia, Texas).

The Flames capped the game’s scoring with five runs in the sixth inning.

NOTES ON THE GAME
• Gabby Baylog scored a season-high two runs as she made her first start as a Cavalier.
• Baylog started at DP and went 1-for-2 at the plate with a walk.
• Virginia used four pitchers on the afternoon as Mackenzie Wooten, Madison Harris and Mikayla Houge all saw action in the circle following Zureich.
• The Cavaliers loaded the bases in both the third and fourth innings – both innings yielded runs for Virginia.

UP NEXT FOR THE HOOS
Virginia will resume ACC play this week when the Cavaliers play a four-game set at North Carolina. The series will begin with a doubleheader at 4 p.m. on Friday (April 9) before playing single games on Saturday (April 10) at 3 p.m. and Sunday (April 11) at 1 p.m. All four games will be streamed on ACCNX.