Virginia Falls In Series Finale At Georgia Tech

ATLANTA – The Cavaliers took the early lead, but the home team rallied down the stretch as Virginia (15-33, 10-27 ACC) fell at Georgia Tech (19-25, 11-19 ACC) by a score of 6-3 on Sunday (May 2). The game marked the series finale and the regular-season finale for both squads.

After Virginia took a 3-2 lead in the second inning, Georgia Tech pushed single runs home in the second and third to move back in front before capping the day’s scoring with a two-run fifth inning.

Mikayla Houge (5-11) took the loss for the Cavaliers. Houge (Collins, Iowa) allowed four runs – three of them earned – on six hits with two walks and a strikeout in her 3.1 innings of work.

Morgan Bruce (3-6) picked up the relief win, entering in the third inning and allowing only one hit with a walk and two strikeouts in her 5.0 innings of work.

Georgia Tech got on the board in the first with a pair of runs before would Virginia would respond in the second. The Cavaliers got a solo home run from Kate Covington (McLean, Va.) to start a string of four straight hits that was capped by a two-RBI double from Arizona Ritchie (Stafford, Va.) to put Virginia up 3-2.

The Yellow Jackets tied things up with a run on a sac fly in the bottom of the second before moving back in front with a solo home run in the third. Georgia Tech would extend the lead to 6-3 with two runs in the fifth.

Virginia would get no closer as the home team held the Cavaliers in check down the stretch to secure the win.

ADDITIONAL NOTES
• Kate Covington hit her fifth home run of the season, tying her for second on the team with Tori Gilbert.
• Virginia used a combined four pitchers in the outing against the Yellow Jackets.
• Virginia has played 37-of-38 scheduled ACC games this season, the most of any team in the league.
• With one weekend to go, Louisville and Pitt are the only two teams who can match 37 ACC games played in 2021.
• Virginia faced every team in the league except FSU in at least two games this season after adding a non-conference home and home with Virginia Tech.
• The 10 ACC wins this season is the most in ACC play by UVA since the 2010 season (13).

FROM HEAD COACH JOANNA HARDIN
“We are definitely disappointed to end our 2021 season in Atlanta. The team fought until the very last pitch of the last game and I am really proud they chose to stay invested and intentional through our last game of the series. We have all endured challenges the last 12 months. Each player has developed resilience and courage during the unprecedented times we just lived through. I’m really proud of their fight and effort today, and I am extremely confident ending the season like we did will motivate our women to work even harder this summer as we prepare to bring together team 43.”