CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 21 Virginia softball team (12-1) posted a pair of shutouts at the Mizuno Classic on Saturday (Feb. 21), defeating Ohio State (6-7) by a score of 8-0 in five innings before beating Delaware (6-10) by a score of 5-0.
Due to expected inclement weather in the greater area, Sunday’s games at the Mizuno Classic have been canceled.
No. 21 VIRGINIA 8, OHIO STATE 0 (5 Innings)
It was all Virginia from the start as the Cavaliers opened the game with a four-run first inning. After the first two batters reached, Macee Eaton singled to short to bring the first run home. Two batters later, a bases-loaded walk for Bella Cabral made it a 2-0 lead. Alex Call then delivered a two-RBI double to make it a 4-0 lead after the first.
The Hoos added a fifth run in the second inning when Eaton again drove in Hylton with a single back to the circle that was off the pitcher.
Three more runs in the fifth inning closed out the run-rule victory with all three coming off a pair of home runs. Cabral opened the frame with a line drive home run to center field. Kelsey Hackett singled in the next at bat to reach before Reagan Hickey’s two-run shot to left center gave the Cavaliers the 8-0 win.
Eden Bigham (5-0) picked up the win in relief, working the final 3.1 innings. She struck out two and allowed one hit.
Lorin Boutte (1-2) took the loss, allowing five runs on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts through 1.1 innings in the start.
No. 21 VIRGINIA 5, DELAWARE 0
Virginia got off to a quick start against the Blue Hens, pushing two runs home in the first inning. After Jade Hylton reached on a leadoff walk, Kassidy Hudson brought her home with a double to center. Hudson moved to third on a single from Macee Eaton and put the Hoos up 2-0 on a sac fly from Kelsey Hackett.
A two-run home run from Eaton in the third took the Cavaliers out to a 4-0 lead before the Hoos would cap the scoring in the sixth inning on an RBI single from Jade Hylton.
Julia Cuozzo (1-1) picked up the win as she allowed only two hits with four walks and six strikeouts through 4.1 innings of work in the start. Courtney Layne closed out the final 2.2 innings, allowing one hit with a walk and three strikeouts.
Josie Crossman (3-4) took the loss, allowing the five runs on six hits with five walks and two strikeouts in a complete-game effort.
NOTING THE HOOS
• Macee Eaton went 4-for-6 on the day with four RBI to bring her season total to 22.
• Eaton, Reagan Hickey and Bella Cabral all homered on the day to give UVA 18 home runs on the year.
• Eaton has a team-leading five home runs on the season, while Hickey has four home runs.
• Virginia has now posted five shutouts this season and scored at least five runs in nine of 13 games.
FROM HEAD COACH JOANNA HARDIN
“The pitching staff has been phenomenal. Taylor Smith opened up game one and kept us in there attacking the zone. Eden Bigham brought it home. Julia got extended in her start (against Delaware) and it’s the longest outing she’s had to open for us and then Courtney Layne was phenomenal coming in. They complement each other very well. Offensively, we’re seeing it really well, taking great pitches, seeing it in the zone and getting off good swings on the pitches we’re looking for. The discipline at the plate lends itself to scoring runs throughout the whole game. I’m really proud of that. We’re playing really well together right now. As we get closer to conference play, we need to continue the momentum and mentally stay prepared and locked in. It’s a long season.”
UP NEXT FOR THE HOOS
Virginia returns to action on Tuesday (Feb. 24) when the Cavaliers will travel to face Longwood in a 2 p.m. contest. The Cavaliers will then return home to host the Party At Palmer Invitational next weekend with Michigan, Bucknell and Villanova competing at Palmer Park.