Big First Inning Helps Virginia Take Down UNCG

GREENSBORO, N.C. – A big first inning helped power the Hoos as Virginia (5-1) picked up a 6-2 win at UNCG (3-3) on Thursday (Feb. 16).

HOW IT HAPPENED
Virginia got on the board quickly with a three-run home from M.C. Eaton to right that scored Jade Hylton and Katie Goldberg. Hylton and Goldberg reached with a single and a walk before the Eaton homer. The Cavaliers capped the scoring a few batters later when Kailyn Jones delivered a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Tori Gilbert.

UNCG got on the board with a solo shot from relief pitcher Salem Ward in the fifth inning.

The Cavaliers pushed two more runs home in the top of the seventh with a two-RBI single up the middle from Sarah Coon that scored Lauren VanAssche and Hylton to take the 6-1 lead.

A solo home run from Maycin Brown gave UNCG its second run of the game before Bressler and the Hoos would get the final out to secure the win.

Molly Grube (2-1) picked up the win as she allowed one run on two hits with three walks and two strikeouts in 4.2 innings of work. Bressler picked up her first save of the season as she worked the final 2.1 and allowed one run on two hits with four walks and four strikeouts.

Jorde Chartrand () took the loss for the Spartans, allowing four runs – three of them earned – on three hits. She walked one and struck out six through her 4.0 innings of work.

NOTES ON THE DAY
• M.C. Eaton’s home run in the first inning was her team-leading fourth of the year.
• Eaton now has 10 RBI on the season to lead the team in run production through the first six games of the year.
• It was the 28th meeting between the teams and the Cavaliers now lead the series against UNCG 20-8.
• The 5-1 start to the season is the best through six games since the 2002 team also posted a 5-1 start.

FROM HEAD COACH JOANNA HARDIN
“Greensboro is always a good team. They are really competitive and so we knew it would be a challenge. The four-spot in the first inning really set us off and put us in a good spot. I’d have liked to see us be a little more competitive in the middle, but the two runs in the seventh were really big. Molly Grube did an excellent job of keeping us in the game for five innings and Jenny Bressler came in and close it out. Our pitchers are doing a great job, we’re scoring some runs and that’s good going into a weekend when we are going to be challenged.”

UP NEXT FOR THE HOOS
Virginia continues to play on the road with four games at the ACC/Big 10 Challenge in a pod hosted by North Carolina. The Cavaliers kick off the weekend with a single game against No. 23 Maryland. First pitch is now at 3 p.m. on Friday (Feb. 17) due to expected inclement weather in the area.