UVA Softball Goes 1-3 at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge

The Cavaliers lost three games by a combined four runs this weekend at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in Chapel Hill

Matt Riley/Virginia Athletics

In the final edition of the ACC/Big Ten Softball Challenge, Virginia turned in a 1-3 record, losing three games by a combined four runs this weekend in Chapel Hill. 

Virginia 1, No. 23 Maryland 2

Read a recap of Virginia's 2-1 loss to Maryland here. 

Virginia 3, Minnesota 0 (9 innings)

In the first of two games to go to extra innings between the Cavaliers and Gophers, neither team scored in the first eight innings of the game. Virginia was held to just three hits through those first eight innings before finally breaking through in the ninth. Sarah Coon broke the scoreless tie with a solo home run to left field and then M.C. Eaton and Kelly Ayer delivered consecutive doubles followed by a sacrifice fly to bring home Ayer to make it 3-0 for the Cavaliers. Molly Grube was brilliant in the win, going the distance for a complete-game shutout and striking out five batters and giving up just three hits in a career-high nine innings. 

Virginia 4, No. 23 Maryland 6

For the second game in a row against the Terrapins, the Cavaliers struck first thanks to a couple of Maryland errors in the first inning. Maryland fought back with a two-run single in the third inning and a solo home run in the fourth. Sarah Coon hit her second home run of the day in the fifth inning, but Maryland seized control of the game with another long ball and a two-run single to make it 6-2. UVA tried to stage a comeback in the sixth inning as Kailyn Jones delivered a clutch triple down the first base line to bring home two runs, but it wasn't enough for the Cavaliers who went on to lose 6-4. 

Virginia 1, Minnesota 2 (8 innings)

In Virginia's final game of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, the Cavaliers went to extra innings with the Gophers for the second time this weekend. After five scoreless innings to start the game, UVA got on the board as Sarah Coon drew a walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch, got to third on a fly-out, and then came home on a sacrifice fly from Jade Hylton. Freshman Eden Bigham held Minnesota scoreless through the first six innings, but ran into trouble as she tried to close the game in the seventh. 

The Gophers put two runners on base with a couple of walks with one out and Virginia made the move to replace Bigham with Molly Grube, who got the first batter she faced to pop out, moving the Cavaliers just one out away from finishing the weekend with a win. Instead, Minnesota's Jess Oakland hit a clutch two-out double that tied and nearly won the game, but UVA was able to throw out the second runner at home to send the game to extra innings. Minnesota managed to take the lead in the eighth inning on another clutch two-out RBI single to right field and the Gophers went on to win 2-1 in yet another close loss for the Cavaliers. 

Now 6-4 on the season, Virginia has its first home game of the season against Longwood on Thursday at 4pm at Palmer Park. 

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