Virginia Falls At South Carolina In Season Opener

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The home team put together a seventh-inning rally, pushing five runs across in the final frame, as Virginia (0-1) fell on the road at South Carolina (1-0) by a score of 7-6 on Thursday night (Feb. 6).

HOW IT HAPPENED
Virginia got out to a quick start, pushing three runs home in the opening frame. Kelly Ayer reached on a single to start things off before coming home on a single through the right side from Macee Eaton. Sarah Coon then walked before MC Eaton singled to left center to bring home the other Eaton and Coon.

South Carolina scratched out a run in the second to cut the lead to two, but the Cavaliers held the home team in check over the next two frames.

Virginia took advantage of Gamecock miscues in the fifth inning to push two runs home, only to see South Carolina respond with a single run in the home half of the fifth. The Cavaliers pushed a sixth run home in the sixth inning on a sac fly from Bella Cabral to take the lead out to 6-2 and held that advantage heading into the bottom of the seventh.

A fielding error put the leadoff batter on for the Gamecocks and South Carolina worked the bases loaded in the seventh inning with one out before bringing the first run home on a walk to cut the lead to 6-3. Eden Bigham, who started the game, came back to the circle with the bases loaded and one out and walked the first batter to cut the lead to 6-4 and runners at the corners.

A two-out single from the top of the order tied the game at six and left runners at the corners. The Gamecocks then grabbed the win on a throwing error to the plate on a ground ball back to first.

Bigham (0-1) took the loss, working 3.0 innings in the start before returning to the circle in the seventh. She allowed two runs, both unearned, with three walks and a strikeout. She faced three batters in the seventh inning.

Jori Heard (1-0) picked up the relief win, allowing three unearned runs on two hits and six strikeouts in 4.0 innings of work.

NOTES ON THE HOOS

• Kelly Ayer delivered the first hit of the season for the Cavaliers with her first at bat of the game. It was her 17^th multiple-hit game of her career.
• Three Cavaliers tallied multiple hits on the night as MC Eaton and Reece Holbrook both notched two hits.
• Savanah Henley worked 3.1 innings in relief with four strikeouts before giving way to Bigham again in the seventh.

FROM HEAD COACH JOANNA HARDIN
“We talk about being a championship team and staying true to who we are every day. Tonight’s game was not a lack of effort or desire; it was a lack of execution in all three facets of the game. We know how to finish games. Tonight got away from us, but the positive is we have clear feedback on areas where we fell short. I know our team will come back out hungry tomorrow.”

UP NEXT FOR THE HOOS
Virginia will play two games on Friday (Feb. 7), facing South Carolina again at 2:30 p.m. before taking on ECU at 5 p.m.