Hoos Drop Series Opener At Notre Dame

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The No. 22 Virginia softball team (24-9, 6-4 ACC) dropped the series opener at Notre Dame (15-19, 3-7 ACC) on Friday as the Irish rallied for the 4-3 victory at Melissa Cook Stadium.

Due to expected inclement weather in the area, the teams will now play a doubleheader on Saturday (March 29) at noon.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Virginia struck in the second inning with a sac fly from MC Eaton scoring Sarah Coon from third. Coon reached on a double and took third on a groundout from Sydney Hartgrove. The Cavaliers added two more runs in the third on RBI hits from Bella Cabral and Macee Eaton for the 3-0 lead.

Notre Dame answered with three runs in the bottom of the third, capitalizing on a pair of early walks before a two-out single and a double tied the game 3-3. The Irish then oved in front in the fourth with a sac fly.

The lead held down the stretch, though the Cavaliers threatened in the seventh. Virginia put two runners in scoring position with one out, but a double play on a groundball to third ended the game with the Irish taking the win.

Eden Bigham (7-5) took the loss in relief as she allowed the one run on two hits with two walks and a strikeout. Bigham entered the game in the fourth to relieve starter Julia Cuozzo with the game tied 3-3.

Micaela Kastor (7-4) picked up the win in relief, entering the game in the third and worked 3.1 innings as her team rallied to take the lead. She scattered five hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Kami Kamzik picked up the save as she worked the seventh.

NOTING THE HOOS
• Macee Eaton pushed her team-leading RBI total to 41 on the year with her RBI in the second inning.
• Bella Cabral went 3-for-4 at the plate to raise her season average to .430 as the top hitter for the Hoos.

FROM HEAD COACH JOANNA HARDIN
“We came out really competitive and a little juiced, which was expected. We had a couple of opportunities to get a big hit or a clutch hit and put up a few more runs there. To win games on the road you have to come up with that big hit in the timely moment, we made some mistakes that cost us extra bases. To maintain in this league, we have to play clean and to execute when the game calls us and we didn’t do that tonight. It was competitive and we played hard, to win and to fight, but we have to execute at a higher clip if we’re going to try to come out tomorrow and win two.”

UP NEXT FOR THE HOOS
Virginia and Notre Dame will close the series with a doubleheader on Saturday (March 29). Game one is set for a noon first pitch and game two will be approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one.