Virginia Softball Evens Series With Dramatic 6-5 Win Over No. 13 Virginia Tech

After the Hokies erased a four-run UVA lead with a 7th-inning grand slam, Leah Boggs scored in the bottom of the 8th to walk it off

Matt Riley/Virginia Athletics

For the second game in a row, the Commonwealth Clash required extra innings to determine a victor. After their eighth-inning rallying came up just short in a 9-8 loss to the Hokies in game 1, the Cavaliers found themselves on the opposite end of a comeback in game 2 as Virginia Tech hit a game-tying grand slam in the top of the seventh. 

The Hoos absorbed the gut punch and came back to win the game in extra innings, as Leah Boggs took advantage of a Hokie error and slid home just barely ahead of the tag to walk it off in the bottom of the eighth, evening the series with a thrilling 6-5 victory over No. 13 Virginia Tech on Friday night at Palmer Park. 

On Thursday, Virginia scored seven of its eight runs via the longball. On Friday, the team scored six runs with just one extra base hit, but put pressure on the Virginia Tech pitching and defense, leading to four walks and three errors. In fact, two of the Cavalier runs were unearned.

Neither team scored in the first inning, and a failed hit-and-run that turned into a line drive double play stopped Virginia Tech from doing any damage in the top of the second inning. Molly Grube got the start for the Cavaliers in the pitcher's circle and delivered a phenomenal performance, giving up just one earned run on only four hits and striking out five batters in 5.2 innings of work.

UVA, on the other hand, used a walk and a single from Abby Weaver to have runners on first and second in the bottom of the second inning. Leah Boggs poked a weak pop fly in the infield that dropped in front of the second baseman and Boggs managed to beat out the throw, allowing Shelby Barbee to score on the play for the game's first run. However, Lyndsey Grein got a strikeout to prevent further damage.

In the third inning, Abby Weaver made a nice over-the-shoulder catch in left field to record the second out, and Molly Grube came through with her first strikeout of the night, keeping the score at 1-0. Virginia added another run in the bottom of the third thanks to two walks, a fielder’s choice, and a sacrifice fly. While no Cavalier hitter was able to come up with a huge hit, the team put enough balls in play to apply pressure to the Virginia Tech defense, resulting in another run. The Hoos stranded two runners in the third after taking the 2-0 lead.

The Hokies cut the lead in half the next time they came up to bat. Rachel Castine hit a line drive to center field and Lauren VanAssche’s throw was just behind Emma Ritter sliding into home plate. Virginia was unable to build off of a leadoff single from Kelly Ayer in the bottom half of the inning.

Molly Grube gave everything she had in the fifth inning, sitting at 99 pitches. Despite walking two Hokies and giving up a single, Grube managed to strike out the side, including a full count, two outs, bases loaded strikeout to end the inning.

The bottom of the fifth inning was chaotic, but in a way that was beneficial for the Cavaliers. With one out, Tori Gilbert walked, Sarah Coon singled, and Shelby Barbee walked to load the bases. A wild pitch allowed everyone to move up and make it 3-1. Next, Abby Weaver hit a ball to the shortstop who committed an error, allowing two more runs to score. A new pitcher came in and ended the threat, but not before the Cavaliers had extended their lead to 5-1. 

The sixth inning was drama free for both teams, which set the stage for the seventh inning, with the top of the Hokies lineup due up. Sure enough, leadoff hitter Kelsey Brown singled and Cameron Fagan singled right after. Kelsey Brown is 7 for 8 in the series so far, and has been a spark plug at the top of the lineup all year for Virginia Tech. Courtney Layne struck out Bre Peck to register one out, but then Emma Ritter singled to shortstop to load the bases and bring the tying run to the plate. 

Virginia brought in Eden Bigham to face Jayme Bailey, who had struck out with the bases loaded in the fifth inning, but she would not let history repeat itself in the seventh. Bailey crushed a ball to left field for a big-time grand slam, tying the game at five runs apiece. Virginia recovered after the blow to finish the inning, but it was a tough moment to be two outs away from the win and see four runs cross the plate with a single swing. 

After failing to score in the bottom of the seventh, the game would require extra innings, once again. Virginia Tech had a chance to take the lead as Kelsey Bennett drew a leadoff walk and moved all the way to third on a couple of groundouts, but Bigham got Fagan to fly out to end the inning and preserve the 5-5 tie. 

Then, it was time for the Cavaliers to come in clutch. Leah Boggs led things off with a single and then Jade Hylton hit a ball to left field and Leah Boggs went first to third. The throw came in from the left fielder and got by the third baseman. After a brief hesitation, Leah Boggs made a break for home plate, diving in just before the Hokie catcher tagged her. The aggressive baserunning from Boggs was the difference, giving her team a 6-5 win. Boggs smacked the dirt with both hands, screaming in celebration, as her teammates mobbed her behind home plate. 

The Hoos grab the win! Leah Boggs with the heads up play on the error at third to come home!#GoHoos | #OnTheRise | #HoosNext pic.twitter.com/nneI162TLS

— Virginia Softball (@UVASoftball) April 8, 2023

After losing the four-run lead in the seventh before coming back to win the game in the next inning, it seemed Virginia experienced both the agony of defeat and the thrill of victory in the same game. 

Eden Bigham got the win in relief, and Molly Jacobson took the loss for Virginia Tech. Leah Boggs was 2 for 3 with one RBI and one run, and her fiery personality shined while celebrating a Cavalier pitcher strikeout and especially after her game-winning run.

After evening the series with the dramatic game 2 win, Virginia (26-12, 7-7 ACC) will look to win the series against Virginia Tech for the first time since 2011 in the rubber match on Saturday at noon at Palmer Park. 

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