Virginia Softball Suffers First Loss, Falls to Nebraska 2-0

The Cavaliers were shut out by the Cornhuskers on Sunday to conclude the Houston Invitational

After beginning the season with four-straight victories, the Virginia softball team faced its first big test of the season against a Nebraska team that went 41-16 in 2022 and won the Big Ten Softball Championship. The Cavaliers hung tough with the Cornhuskers and had a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, but Virginia ultimately came up short in a 2-0 loss to Nebraska on Sunday in Houston. 

UVA got a couple of outstanding performances in the pitching circle from Molly Grube and Jenny Bressler. Grube went four innings, striking out three batters and giving up just two earned runs on three hits. Bressler came into the game in the fifth and pitched three scoreless innings, surrendering just one hit and recording two strikeouts in the process. 

Unfortunately for the Wahoos, Nebraska got an even better pitching performance out of senior Courtney Wallace, who pitched a complete-game shutout to win the game for the Cornhuskers. 

The Cavaliers had chances to tie the game starting as early as the first inning, when back-to-back singles from Katie Goldberg and Sarah Coon gave UVA runners on first and second with one out. But, M.C. Eaton grounded into a double play to end the inning. 

Leah Boggs nearly scored by herself in the bottom of the second, as the UVA catcher drew a two-out walk and then proceeded to steal second and third base before Kailyn Jones grounded out to strand Boggs on third. 

After Grube dealt three scoreless innings, Nebraska got on the board with a two-run home run to left center by Mya Felder, breaking the scoreless tie. 

Virginia didn't threaten to score again until the bottom of the seventh inning as Leah Boggs got on base with a one-out single. Reece Holbrook struck out swinging to get the Cavaliers down to their final out, but then Shelby Barbee kept the rally alive with a two-out single to right field, moving Boggs to third base. With the tying run on first base, Wallace settled down and secured the final out, getting Jade Hylton to pop out to right field to end the game. 

Virginia got six hits in the game as compared to four for Nebraska, but Mya Felder's home run and Courtney Wallace's ability to strand UVA's runners in scoring position proved to be the difference. 

After starting the season with a 4-1 record in the Texas road trip, Virginia will be back in action with five more road games in North Carolina next weekend. UVA plays at UNC-Greensboro on Thursday before participating in the final ACC/Big Ten Challenge in Chapel Hill with games against Maryland on Friday, Minnesota and Maryland on Saturday, and another against Minnesota on Sunday morning. 

To stay up to date on all Virginia Cavaliers sports news, follow CavaliersNow on social media:

Facebook: @CavaliersNow
Twitter: @CavaliersNowFN