Virginia Closes Homestand With Liberty Tuesday

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia softball team (26-13) closes out a seven-game homestand on Tuesday night (April 11) when the Cavaliers host a non-conference matchup against Liberty (25-13). First pitch is set for 6 p.m. at Palmer Park.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE ACTION
Tuesday night’s game will be broadcast on ACCNX and is available for streaming through the ESPN app and at ESPN.com. Live stats are also available for the contest. Links to both the stream and live stats are at VirginiaSports.com. Fans can also get updates by following the program’s official Twitter account (@UVASoftball).

LEADING OFF

• Tuesday’s game against Liberty is one of three non-conference games remaining on the schedule for UVA.
• The Hoos are 19-5 in non-conference games this season and are 17-5 in games played at Palmer Park this year.
• Virginia continues to lead the ACC in stolen bases (87) and is 14th nationally in steals this season.
• Kelly Ayer and Jade Hylton are second and third in the ACC in steals this season. Hylton is second and has 20 steals on the year, while Ayer is third with 19 steals this season.
• Virginia’s 87 stolen bases is the sixth most in a single season and is four shy of tying the 1999 team for fifth most in a season (91).
• As a staff, the Cavaliers are fourth in the ACC in earned run average (2.23) and are second in the ACC in shutouts (11) – which ranks 18th nationally in the category.
• The Hoos also put one of the nation’s top defenses on the field for the second straight season. Virginia is currently second in the ACC in fielding percentage (.978) and ranks 12th nationally.
• Shelby Barbee hit her first home run of her career in the series opener against Virginia Tech and the Hoos have hit 40 home runs on the season which is tied for seventh most in a season with the 2009 team.

THE SERIES WITH LIBERTY

• Virginia and Liberty have faced each other 77 times and the Cavaliers lead the series 47-30.
• Liberty won the first meeting this season in Lynchburg and have won five straight in the series.
• UVA won the second meeting of the 2019 campaign 4-3 in Charlottesville (4/16/19) for its last win in the series.
• The longest win streak for the Hoos in the series was 15 games (3/28/98 – 4/13/05).
• Liberty’s longest win streak in the series is six games (4/29/81 – 3/26/83).

LAST TIME OUT AGAINST THE FLAMES

• Virginia and Liberty met in Lynchburg on March 7 with the Flames taking the 6-2 victory.
• After Liberty scored in the first, the Hoos tied it 2-2 in the second off a two-run home run from Kailyn Jones.
• For Jones, it was the first home run of her career with the long ball hit down the line in right field.
• Jones was 1-for-2 with a walk, a run scored and two RBI to lead the Hoos at the plate in the game.

ON DECK FOR THE HOOS
Virginia will jump back into ACC play this weekend with a three-game series at No. 6 Florida State. Game one of the series is set for a 6 p.m. first pitch on Friday (April 14).