No. 18 Virginia Walks Off Michigan To Sweep Sunday ActionNo. 18 Virginia Walks Off Michigan To Sweep Sunday Action

No. 18 Virginia Walks Off Michigan To Sweep Sunday Action

  • Game 1
  • Game 2
Box Score

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 18 Virginia softball team (19-1) started the day with a shutout and closed it with a walk-off as the Cavaliers defeated Bucknell and Michigan at Palmer Park on Sunday (March 1).

The Hoos blanked Bucknell (1-13) by a score of 7-0 before walking off Michigan (15-5) with a four-run rally in the seventh inning.  


No. 18 VIRGINIA 7, BUCKNELL 0
Virginia struck first against the Bison, pushing a pair of runs home on an RBI double from Macee Eaton and an RBI single from Kelsey Hackett.

The Hoos added two more runs in the fourth off a two-run shot to right field from Bella Cabral after Macee Eaton reached on a single up the middle in the previous at bat.

Virginia strung a three-run rally together in the sixth, using an RBI groundout from Jaiden Griffith and an RBI single from Eaton to score the first two runs. A wild pitch allowed Hylton to score the third run of the frame for the final 7-0 margin of victory.

Ava Hodges (1-0) picked up the win, allowing two hits with two walks and two strikeouts through 4.0 innings of work.

Avery Powers (1-5) took the loss, allowing seven runs – five of them earned – on nine hits with five walks and three strikeouts.

No. 18 VIRGINIA 5, MICHIGAN 4
Virginia struck in the first, scoring Jade Hylton from second on a single to center from Macee Eaton. Hylton reached on a leadoff walk and took second on a groundout from Kassidy Hudson.

Michigan responded in the third, loading the bases with no outs before a double to the wall in left center brought three runs home. Back-to-back groundouts scored a fourth run to take the 4-1 lead on the Cavaliers.

The Hoos loaded the bases in the seventh before Macee Eaton drove a single to center, bringing home two runs and pulling Virginia within one as Alex Call and Jaiden Griffith scored. Bella Cabral was hit by a pitch to load the bases a second time and set up a bases loaded situation for the second time in the frame.

Following a pop up, redshirt freshman Reagan Hickey drew a two-out walk to push Hylton home and tie the game before freshman Hannah Weismer dropped a ball into shallow left field to give Virginia the walk-off win.

Courtney Layne (7-0) picked up the win in relief, working 4.0 scoreless out of the pen and limiting the Wolverines to two hits while striking out four. She did not walk a batter.

Gabby Ellis (7-1) took the loss for Michigan, allowing the four runs on nine hits with two walks and four strikeouts in the complete-game performance.

NOTING THE HOOS

  • The Cavaliers ran their win streak out to 19 games with the pair of victories on Sunday afternoon.
  • Bella Cabral hit her sixth home run in seven games and has a team-leading eight home runs on the season after her home run against Bucknell.
  • Courtney Layne picked up her second win of the weekend on Sunday, serving as the pitcher of record in both wins over Michigan on the weekend. She is now 7-0 on the season and lowered her season ERA to 0.73.
  • Freshman Hannah Weismer’s hit in the seventh inning against Michigan was the first walk-off of her career.

    FROM HEAD COACH JOANNA HARDIN
    “We asked so much of this team with six games in the last four games; it’s a lot physically, emotionally and mentally. We’re really proud of how they handled the whole week and finished the weekend. Michigan is a great team. We’ve played some gritty softball and that’s a gritty win. It took everyone to get it done. I’m proud of the pitching effort giving us a chance and keeping us in that ballgame. Alex Call came out and got the big double in the seventh to get the momentum rolling for us.”

    UP NEXT FOR THE HOOS
    Virginia returns to action on Tuesday (March 3) with a 2 p.m. contest at Radford. The Cavaliers will then continue to play on the road over the weekend, opening ACC play with a three-game series at North Carolina.