Virginia Softball Swept by Syracuse in Final ACC Series

The Cavaliers were swept on the road by the Orange this weekend to conclude the ACC portion of the regular season schedule

Matt Riley/Virginia Athletics

The Virginia softball team fell in a series sweep for the second weekend in a row, dropping three games on the road at Syracuse to close out ACC regular season play. The Cavaliers were outscored 24-9 in the series.

Game 1 (Friday): Syracuse 8, Virginia 3

The Orange scored six runs in the third inning to take a large lead in the series opener, taking advantage of two Cavalier errors in the inning while also recording five hits, including a solo home run and four singles. Eden Bigham was on the hook for the first five runs and took the loss in the game, but three of the runs were unearned. Courtney Layne eventually got the Cavaliers out of the inning, but not before the damage was done.

UVA cut the lead in half in the top of the fourth with a bases-loaded walk to Gabby Baylog and a two-run single from Leah Boggs. However, Virginia had three of its four total hits in the fourth inning, so the team was unable to generate offense in the other innings. Syracuse added two more runs in the sixth inning with a two-run single, and then held the Cavaliers scoreless once again.

Leah Boggs was 1 for 3 with the two-out and two-run single to pace UVA. No Cavalier managed an extra base hit in game one.

Game 2 (Friday): Syracuse 4, Virginia 0

The Cavaliers couldn’t solve Madison Knight in game two, as she pitched a complete game shutout and gave up just two hits, while also pitching three scoreless innings in game one.

The Orange managed to score on a solo homer in the second, a double in the fourth, and then two RBI hits in the sixth inning to spread out their runs. Savanah Henley scattered seven hits across six innings of work, but with no run support she was stuck with the loss.

The Cavalier defense was more solid in the second game and was error free. Shortstop Katie Goldberg made a nice leaping catch to end the fifth inning on a ball that looked like it was heading for center field. Unfortunately, the Cavalier bats couldn’t come to life.

Game 3 (Saturday): Syracuse 12, Virginia 6

Syracuse jumped out to an early lead with a two-out grand slam off of Eden Bigham, but then Reece Holbrook responded with a three-run home run for UVA to pull within one run. However, Syracuse executed once again with the bases loaded, getting a three-run double this time to take a 7-3 lead. Then in the third, a Cavalier fielding error and a sacrifice fly helped the Orange score two more runs.

In the top of the fourth, Katie Goldberg scored on a fielding error, but then Syracuse responded with a solo homer, maintaining the six-run lead.

Gabby Baylog smoked a two-run homer in the top of the fifth inning, making the score 10-6. UVA was unable to rally in the sixth inning, and then a second home run from Syracuse’s Kelly Breen and a sacrifice fly put the game out of reach. In the end, Virginia fell 12-6.

Eden Bigham took the loss for Virginia, who used five different pitchers in the contest. Gabby Baylog went 2 for 3 with the home run, and Reece Holbrook was 1 for 3 with her home run.

Virginia (29-20, 8-16 ACC) faces Longwood in the regular season finale on Tuesday at 5pm in Farmville, Virginia before the ACC Championship begins on May 10th. 

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