Virginia Falls In Series Opener At Notre Dame

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The Virginia softball team (13-22, 9-17 ACC) fell in the series opener on Friday (April 16) at Notre Dame (19-12, 10-10 ACC) as the Irish used a big fifth inning to pull away from the Cavaliers at Melissa Cook Stadium.

Molly Grube (2-3) suffered the loss, allowing four runs – three of them earned – on seven hits with four walks and five strikeouts. Grube (Chesterfield, Va.) worked the first four innings before being relieved by Madison Harris (Forest, Va.). Grube then returned in the fifth inning to close out the game after the first three batters reached in the fifth.

Payton Tidd (10-5) picked up the win for Notre Dame, allowing the one run on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts as she went the distance.

Notre Dame got a run in the first inning before Virginia would even the score in the third when Abby Weaver (Roanoke, Va.) laced an RBI single up the middle to bring home Arizona Ritchie (Stafford, Va.). Ritchie reached on an error and took second before moving to third on a groundout for the Weaver hit.

Notre Dame would get the run back in the bottom of the third before pushing four runs home in the fifth inning to push the game out of reach. The Irish would add a run in the sixth inning for the final 7-1 margin of victory.

NOTES ON THE GAME
• Abby Weaver has reached base in nine consecutive games, the longest active streak and second longest by a Cavalier this season.

FROM HEAD COACH JOANNA HARDIN
“I thought our team came out with energy and ready to compete. Molly (Grube) competed for six innings and I was proud of how she re-entered the game and attacked the middle of the lineup. Timely hitting is key for us going into the rest of the weekend and I am convinced our offense will be ready to go tomorrow.”

UP NEXT FOR THE HOOS
Virginia and Notre Dame will continue the series on Saturday, playing a doubleheader at Melissa Cook Stadium that begins at 1 p.m. Both games of the doubleheader will be streamed on ACCNX.