Virginia Softball Holds on for Thrilling 6-5 Upset at No. 4 Florida State

The Cavaliers snapped a 16-game losing streak to the Seminoles and earned their first win in Tallahassee since 2011

Matt Riley/Virginia Athletics

Joanna Hardin has something special brewing with the Virginia softball program. 

The Cavaliers snapped a 16-game losing streak to Florida State and earned their first road win over the Seminoles in Tallahassee since 2011 in a thrilling game on Saturday afternoon. After scoring the first six runs of the game, Virginia almost let Florida State steal the game away with a late-game rally, but UVA held on for the 6-5 upset win, evening the series at one game apiece. 

Virginia jumped out to a lead in the second inning. Abby Weaver hit a leadoff single and advanced twice on two wild pitches, and Sarah Coon walked and her pinch runner Lauren VanAssche stole second. Shelby Barbee brought home the first run with a sacrifice fly, and then Kelly Ayer hit an RBI infield single. A few batters later, Gabby Baylog was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in another run. After the inning, the Cavaliers led 3-0. 

The two teams didn’t score in the third and fourth innings, but the Hoos added another run in the top of the fifth courtesy of a Shelby Barbee single to left field. The Seminoles looked like they might tie the game off the bat of Jahni Kerr with the bases loaded, but Lauren VanAssche made a leaping catch at the wall to end the inning and preserve the 4-0 lead. 

In the sixth inning, Jade Hylton singled and stole second. After Katie Goldberg was hit by a pitch and Gabby Baylog singled to load the bases, all runners advanced on a wild pitch. After getting the second out of the inning, Abby Weaver hit an infield single to bring home another run, so Virginia was up 6-0. The Cavaliers scored with two outs in both the fifth and sixth innings, getting clutch hits when the team needed it most. 

A six-run lead with two defensive innings to go feels like a pretty good position, but not against the fourth ranked team in the country. In fact, Virginia needed every one of those runs after Florida State put together a five-run inning in the bottom of the sixth. Kaley Mudge hit a two-run homer, Kalei Harding hit a two-run double, and Janhi Kerr hit an RBI single to bring home the Seminole runners. As the third Cavalier pitcher of the inning, Savanah Henley came in with two on and two out and struck out Mack Leonard to end the inning and preserve the lead. 

After failing to score in the top of the seventh, the Cavalier defense was back on the field in front of a raucous crowd at JoAnne Graf Field. The Florida State faithful were looking to complete the comeback, while Savanah Henley and the Cavaliers looked to halt the momentum. 

To start the seventh, Katie Dack grounded out to Katie Goldberg at shortstop for the first out. Kaley Mudge got her third hit of the afternoon with a single to right field, to put the tying run on base. Henley got Josie Muffley to pop up to shortstop, but then Devyn Flaherty poked a single to center field and Kaley Mudge advanced to third. Shortly after, Flaherty stole second, putting the winning run in scoring position with second hitter Hallie Wacaser at the plate.

Savanah Henley missed outside with two pitches, but then got Wacaser to sky a pop fly in the infield, which Katie Goldberg caught for the third out to seal the victory. The Cavaliers handed the Seminoles just their second ACC loss of the season and eighth loss overall, while Virginia improved to 8-9 in the ACC and 28-14 overall.

Eden Bigham got the victory for Virginia after pitching 5.1 innings and giving up three runs. Abby Weaver was 2 for 4 with one RBI and one run on offense, and Shelby Barbee had two RBI on one hit.

Update: Virginia fell to Florida State 8-0 in the series finale on Saturday evening, so the Seminoles take the series. Virginia drops to 28-15 overall and 8-10 in ACC play. 

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