Virginia Takes Two Wins On Opening Day

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Virginia softball team (2-0) picked up two wins to open the season, downing UNCG (0-1) and Jacksonville State (0-1) on day one at the Carolina Classic on Friday (Feb. 9). The Hoos defeated UNCG by a score of 6-5 before downing Jacksonville State 7-3.

GAME 1: Virginia 6, UNCG 5
Virginia got the early lead with a two-run home run from Shelby Barbee in the second inning. The shot to center from Barbee scored Sarah Coon who drew a leadoff walk to start the frame.

The Hoos added a third run with a sac fly from Abby Weaver that brought home Kelly Ayer.

Three more runs came home in the fourth with a Macee Eaton RBI single kicking things off. The Cavaliers then got a sac fly from Leah Boggs and an RBI groundout from Ayer to push the Hoos to the 6-0 lead.

UNCG climbed back into the game with a three-run home run with two outs in the fifth before adding a pair of runs in the sixth. The first run of the sixth came on a triple following a leadoff walk and then a single four batters later.

Virginia’s arms and defense held things in check for the seventh to pick up the victory.

Eden Bigham (1-0) picked up the win with her 11 strikeouts through 5.0 innings of work. She allowed five runs on three hits with one walk. Julia Cuozzo picked up her first save, working the final 2.0 innings with a walk and three strikeouts.

GAME 2: Virginia 7, Jacksonville State 3
The Cavaliers took the early lead on Jacksonville State, pushing single runs across on RBI singles from Abby Weaver in the first and Kailyn Jones in the second.

Jacksonville State cut the lead in half with a single run in the third before moving in front on a two-RBI single from Emma Jones in the fifth.

Virginia answered in the home half of the fifth, putting together a five-run inning to take the 7-3 lead. It started with a two-RBI single up the middle from Weaver. The senior, who took second on a throw home following her single, scored in the next at bat as freshman Bella Cabral singled to left field. Cabral then scored on a two-run home run from Sarah Coon in the next at bat.

Savanah Henley (1-0) picked up the victory, allowing three runs – two earned – on five hits with a walk and four strikeouts. She worked 6.0 innings in the start.

NOTES ON THE DAY

• Sophomore RHP Eden Bigham struck out a career-high 11 batters on the day – 9 of the first 10 batters faced.
• Bigham retired 12 of the first 13 batters she faced in the outing against the Spartans.
• Freshman Julia Cuozzo earned the save in her collegiate debut and pitched in both games on the afternoon.
• Four freshmen made their debut as Cuozzo was joined on the diamond by fellow newcomers Bella Cabral, Macee Eaton and Kamyria Woody-Giggetts. Cabral and Eaton started both games.
• Shelby Barbee and Sarah Coon both homered on the day with each player hitting a two-run home run.

FROM HEAD COACH JOANNA HARDIN
“We’ve been chomping at the bit to get out on the field and finally play someone else. I’m proud of our student-athletes for getting after it. Eden came out on fire and gave us some good momentum. I like that our backs were against the wall and we fought back in game two. In game one we had the big lead and stayed composed and poised to get some timely hits and some big hits. We learned a lot and have a lot to work on, but we saw a lot of positives today too.”

ON DECK FOR THE HOOS
Virginia returns to action with two games on Saturday (Feb. 10) at the Carolina Classic. Virginia will face UNCG at 10 a.m. before taking on No. 23 South Carolina at 3 p.m. The contest against South Carolina will be streamed on SEC Network + through the ESPN app and at WatchESPN.com.