Hylton Ties UVA Home Run Record In Loss At Liberty

LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Cavaliers took the lead in the top of the seventh on a Jade Hylton home run, but the home team answered  with two runs in the bottom of the inning as Virginia (27-13) fell 4-3 in a walk-off at Liberty (34-8) on Tuesday (April 8).

Hylton’s home run tied Sara Larquier (2003-06) for the program record at 35 career home runs.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Liberty took the lead with a solo shot to center in the second inning, but the Hoos answered in the third with a solo shot to left from Bella Cabral to tie the game at 1-1.

The Flames took the lead back in the fourth inning, capitalizing on an error on a sac bunt as the throw to second for the lead runner was off the mark and put two runners on. A sac fly two batters later put Liberty up 2-1.

Virginia tied the game in the sixth with a single to center from Kelsey Hackett. Kamyria Woody-Giggetts entered to run for Sarah Coon who opened the frame with a single. Woody-Giggetts advanced to second on a sac bunt from Sydney Hartgrove to set up the score on the Hackett single.

Jade Hylton then put the Cavaliers in the lead with a solo shot to right to open the seventh.

Liberty wouldn’t go away, however, getting base runners with back-to-back batters hit by pitch with one out. A double to the gap in left center gave the Flames the walk-off victory.

Eden Bigham (10-7) took the loss in relief, allowing three runs – two earned – on four hits with three walks and a strikeout through 4.1 innings of work.

Paige Bachman (8-1) picked up the win in relief, allowing one hit with a walk as she entered with her team down 3-2 in the seventh following the Hylton home run.

NOTING THE HOOS
• Jade Hylton’s record-tying home run in the seventh inning was her 11th home run of the season.
• Bella Cabral’s home run in the third inning was her seventh of the season.
• It was the 13th game decided by one run for Virginia this season and the Hoos are 6-7 in those games.

FROM HEAD COACH JOANNA HARDIN
“You’re always going to look back on games and always say coulda, woulda, shoulda. We had some key moments early with bases loaded in the first and runners at first and second – in a back and forth battle you look back and those are opportunities in key moments to scratch out a run or put a ball in play. Everyone played hard, put their heart out there and competed hard but,  we didn’t come up with the clutch hit or the clutch pitch. When you’re playing good opponents it’s going to come down to the wire like that. We know there is no easy road the rest of the way out. We’ve got to tighten it up and execute in late pressure situations. We have an opponent coming in that’s hungry and tough and scrappy; we’ll have to compete hard and learn from tonight.”

UP NEXT FOR THE HOOS
Virginia returns home to host Syracuse as the Hoos jump back into ACC play at home. First pitch in the series opener is set for 5 p.m. on Friday (April 11).