Virginia Splits Doubleheader At North Carolina To Split Series

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Virginia softball team (13-21, 9-16 ACC) split a doubleheader at North Carolina (12-15, 8-9 ACC) on Sunday (April 11), falling in game one by a score of 11-6 before powering to an 8-5 victory in game two. With the doubleheader split, the teams split the weekend series.

North Carolina capitalized on Cavalier miscues early to rally and take an insurmountable lead on the way to victory in game one.

In the game two victory, the Cavaliers got home runs from Katie Goldberg (Atlanta, Ga.) and Kate Covington (McLean, Va.), while Emma McBride (Magnolia, Texas) would go 3-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI. Virginia pounded out 10 hits in that win to close the series.

GAME ONE: North Carolina 11, Virginia 6

Molly Grube (2-2) took the loss in relief in game one, allowing the go-ahead run to reach base after entering in relief in the third inning. Grube (Chesterfield, Va.) allowed the one run with two walks in her inning of work.

Gaby Katz (1-1) picked up the win, allowing  six runs – two of them earned – on seven hits with five walks and two strikeouts.

North Carolina took advantage of Virginia miscues in the first inning to push three runs home out of the gates.

Virginia answered with a four-run rally in the third, taking advantage of a Tar Hell miscue to get the scoring started before Goldberg would deliver a two-RBI hit and Ashley Jennings (Forest, Va.) would drive in the fourth run with a groundout to second.

North Carolina moved back in front with two runs in the bottom of the third before adding three runs in the fourth to take the lead to 8-4.

Virginia would get a run back in the sixth, but the Tar Heels used a three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth to put the game out of reach. The Cavaliers would add one more run in the seventh.

GAME TWO: Virginia 8, North Carolina 5

Mikayla Houge (4-5) picked up the win in the finale, working 5.2 innings in the start. Houge (Collins, Iowa) allowed five runs – three of them earned – on seven hits with a walk and a strikeout. Madison Harris (Forest, Va.) picked up her second save of the season, holding North Carolina scoreless over the final 1.1 innings with a walk and a strikeout.

Katie Grace Olinger (1-4) took the loss, allowing six runs – four of them earned – on six hits with two walks in 1.2 innings of work.

After surrendering a run in the first inning of the day’s second game, the Cavaliers responded in a big way with a six-run second inning to power the way to the 8-5 win.

The second-inning rally started with Virginia taking advantage of an error and an RBI groundout to push the first three runs home. A two-out double from Emma McBride (Magnolia, Texas) kept things going before Goldberg would hit a two-run home run and Covington would hit her solo shot.

The Cavaliers would take the lead out to 8-1 after a two-RBI triple from McBride in the third.

North Carolina would chip away at the lead down the stretch, but Houge and Harris in the circle combined with the defense to keep the Cavaliers on top for the victory.

NOTES ON THE DAY
• Katie Goldberg moved into the team lead in home runs with her sixth of the season on Sunday.
• Goldberg also leads the team in RBI this season with 22 after driving in four on the day.
• Abby Weaver extended her season-long hit streak to seven games, before having it snapped in game two
• McBride hit went 4-for-7 on the day with two runs scored, two RBI and a walk.
• Arizona Ritchie now holds a six-game hit streak after hitting safely in both games on Sunday.

UP NEXT FOR THE HOOS
The Cavaliers will return to action next weekend, traveling to take on Notre Dame in a four-game set that begins on Friday (April 16) and runs through Sunday (April 18).