Virginia Rallies To Take Series At Georgia Tech

ATLANTA – Virginia (32-17, 15-9 ACC) rallied down the stretch, scoring in the sixth and seventh on Sunday (April 28) as the Cavaliers defeated Georgia Tech (31-22, 12-12 ACC) by a score of 4-3 to claim the weekend series.

Virginia went to the rubber match in all eight ACC series this season and this was the seventh time the Cavaliers claimed the weekend series.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Virginia manufactured a run in the first when Bella Cabral scored from third on a wild pitch. She reached on a walk and went to third on a single to right center from Macee Eaton to set up the scoring opportunity.

Georgia Tech got on the board in the third, using a hit by pitch to put a runner on with one out before a double to right center brought her home and evened the score at 1-1. Virginia went to the bullpen for Madi Harris. The Yellow Jackets then took the lead with a single to left. A walk and a wild pitch put two in scoring position before a pop up would end the inning with the home team up 2-1.

Virginia moved back in front in the sixth inning. A sac fly to right from Shelby Barbee brought home Abby Weaver before a single through the left side from Leah Boggs brought home Kailyn Jones and put the Cavaliers up 4-2.

Georgia Tech got a run back in the seventh with a two-out single after the Yellow Jackets put two on with a walk and an error. Eden Bigham, who entered to start the fourth, then got a pop up to end the game and secure the series victory.

Bigham (14-7) picked up the victory, allowing one run on three hits with a walk and a strikeout in 4.0 innings of relief work. Mikayla Houge worked 2.2 innings in the start, while Madi Harris bridged the gap from Houge to Bigham with the final out of the third inning.

Kinsey Norton (9-6) took the relief loss for the Yellow Jackets, allowing three runs on five hits with three walks and seven strikeouts through 4.0 innings of work.

NOTES ON THE GAME

• Virginia won its seventh ACC series of the season with the only series loss coming at UNC in week two.
• It’s the first time UVA has won seven ACC series with the previous high being five series wins (2010).
• The Cavaliers are now 27-3 on the season when scoring at least three runs.
• Shelby Barbee went 2-for-2 and a walk with two RBI to cap an outstanding offensive weekend.

FROM HEAD COACH JOANNA HARDIN
“It was grinding out a win today. It was a little warm and we were a little flat to start. We had some chances to put the game away, but the name of the game is can you finish and finish strong? Putting up those three runs in the sixth and seventh was huge. Shelby Barbee and Leah Boggs really came through down the stretch. We loved to see Eden close it out and bounce back from Friday night. Tip your hat to Mikayla Houge for giving us three innings today after the complete game on Saturday. The pitching staff put it together and it’s going to take a whole team effort to keep going for the goals that remain ahead of us.”

ON DECK FOR THE HOOS
Virginia has a bye week this week before the Cavaliers will head to Durham, N.C., to compete at the ACC Softball Championships. Play will begin with the quarterfinals on Thursday, May 9, with seeding, matchups and gametimes to be announced.