No. 16 Virginia Rallies To Clinch Series At North Carolina

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The No. 16 Virginia softball team (22-2, 2-1 ACC) scored 11 runs over the final two frames of game two of a doubleheader at North Carolina (19-3, 3-3 ACC) and clinch the weekend series with the Tar Heels.

Both games went to extra innings as North Carolina rallied for the 11-9 victory in extra innings in game one, while the Cavaliers rallied for the 19-14 victory in eight innings in game two of the series.

NORTH CAROLINA 11, No. 16 VIRGINIA 9 (8 Innings) – GAME 1
Virginia got off to the quick start in the first inning with a three-run shot to center from Macee Eaton. Jade Hylton and Kassidy Hudson scored on the play after reaching on back-to-back walks to start the game.

The Tar Heels got one back in the home half as Emily Legette delivered a solo shot to left with two outs.

Virginia added a run in the second inning with a two-out, RBI single to the right side from Kassidy Hudson that scored Jaiden Griffith from third. Then UVA pushed three more runs home with a bases-loaded walk, a sacrifice fly and capped the rally with a bloop to left from Griffith.

The Tar Heels responded with a rally in the bottom of the third after three straight walks loaded the bases to start the frame. After an RBI single, the Hoos turned to the bullpen for freshman Taylor Smith. A strikeout and a walk saw the Heels push a second run home. Smith struck out three of the next four batters to limit the frame and keep it to a 7-3 Virginia lead.

The Hoos added one back with Eaton’s second home run of the game in the fourth, a solo shot deep to center. But again the Tar Heels answered, this time with a three-run home run from Legette to cut the UVA lead to two at 8-6.

North Carolina tied it up with a pair of solo home runs in the sixth.

Hylton put the Hoos back in front in the eighth, sending a solo shot to right center for the 9-8 lead, but the Tar Heels walked it off with a three-run home run from Legette in the bottom of the eighth.

Courtney Layne (8-1) took the loss in relief, allowing five runs on six hits with a walk and three strikeouts in 3.2 innings.

Nikki Harris (1-0) picked up the win for UNC, allowing one run on five hits with two strikeouts in 3.2 innings of relief work.

No. 16 VIRGINIA 19, NORTH CAROLINA 14 – GAME 2
Virginia started the game with an RBI from Macee Eaton, but the Tar Heels responded with a five-run bottom of the first inning with a three-run home run and a solo shot to start the game.

The Hoos cut the lead to two with a pair of runs in the second inning as Hannah Weismer homered and Eaton came up with a bases-loaded sac fly three batters later, making it a 5-3 game. North Carolina again responded with another three-run home run in the home half.

The Cavaliers pushed four runs across the plate in the third, using a two-run home run from Reagan Hickey and a two-RBI double from Eaton to cut the lead to one at 8-7. The Tar Heels answered in the bottom of the fourth with their own five-run rally to take the lead back out to 13-7.

Virgina chipped away from there as the defense and pitching staff kept the UNC offense at bay to allow a rally. An RBI double from Cabral in the fifth put the Hoos within five. The Cavaliers went to work in the seventh, loading the bases to start the frame before capitalizing on fielding errors to jump start a five-run rally. Hylton capped the inning with a two-RBI single to center.

After locking down the bottom of the seventh, Virginia again exploded in the eighth for six runs. The rally included a three-run home run from Alex Call, a score on a fielding error and was capped by a two-RBI double from Cabral to make it 19-13 for the Hoos.

North Carolina got a single run in the bottom of the eighth, but no more.

Julia Cuozzo (3-1) picked up the win with 5.0 innings of relief work. She allowed one run on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Cuozzo entered the game with the bases loaded and no outs in the fourth after two runs had already been pushed home by free passes.

Lilly Parrish (3-1) took the loss, allowing three runs on two hits with a walk and strikeout in 0.2 innings of relief work.

FROM HEAD COACH JOANNA HARDIN
“I saw a ton of grit, resilience and fight. This team is never out of it. We pushed it into extra innings in game one, but came up short. We scored five in the seventh in game two to send it to extra innings. We talk about getting the tying run to the plate in the last inning when you’re down. We’ve done that multiple times. I’m really proud of the effort and resilience I saw tonight. That’s what championship teams are made of.”

UP NEXT FOR THE HOOS
Virginia returns to action at home on Tuesday (March 10) when the Cavaliers host Hampton in a 4 p.m. contest at Palmer Park.