Virginia Softball Turns in 3-2 Record at Easton Bama Bash
Last weekend at the South Carolina Tournament, Virginia handled the other teams invited, but couldn’t get past the ranked host team. This weekend was a similar story as the Cavaliers participated in the Easton Bama Bash, with UVA defeating the other two schools in attendance, but failing to beat No. 12 Alabama, although the losses were by two runs or less in both showdowns.
Friday 2/16 (Game 1)- Virginia 5, Southern Indiana 2
Virginia got off to a good start in the team’s first tournament game thanks to eleven strikeouts from Eden Bigham and all five RBIs coming from either Jade Hylton or Sarah Coon. Jade Hylton blasted a two-run homer in the top of the third inning to get Virginia on the board, but then Southern Indiana managed a run off of Savanah Henley in the bottom of the third to tie the game, and then scored an unearned run in the fourth to take the lead.
Virginia trailed heading into the sixth inning, but a single from Bella Cabral and a home run from Sarah Coon helped the Hoos regain the lead. Coon added an insurance run in the seventh inning with an RBI single, but Eden Bigham didn’t need it in relief, as she struck out seven of the final ten batters she faced.
Friday 2/16 (Game 2)- No. 12 Alabama 3, Virginia 1
Virginia played a tight game against the perennial program Alabama, but came up short. The Crimson Tide took an early lead on a two-run homer in the bottom of the first off of Courtney Layne, but then Julia Cuozzo and Madison Harris combined to give up just one run in 4.1 innings pitched, with Harris leading the way with no hits and two strikeouts in 1.2 innings of work. Second baseman Bella Cabral saved a run in the bottom of the fourth, diving to her left to field a ground ball and flipping to first to end the inning and prevent the runner on third from scoring.
The Virginia offense couldn’t get much going against Alabama’s pitcher, with the best chance early in the game coming with a runner on third and two outs in the third inning. In the top of the seventh, Sarah Coon and Abby Weaver singled, and then pinch runner Lauren VanAssche was able to score from second on a fly ball to right field after a fielding error. This brought the tying run to the plate, but Alabama stopped the rally in its tracks and secured the 3-1 win.
Saturday 2/17 (Game 3)- No. 12 Alabama 3, Virginia 2
Despite outhitting Alabama seven to four, Virginia was unable to muster the upset in the second matchup between the two teams. Eden Bigham pitched a complete game, giving up three runs and recording seven strikeouts. Alabama struck first once again with a walk, sacrifice bunt, and RBI single. Alabama added two more on a solo homer and RBI single in the second, but then Bigham wouldn’t give up a hit for the rest of the afternoon.
While the defense settled in, the offense tried to get some momentum going. In the third inning, Macee Eaton came up clutch with a two-out two-run RBI single, pulling the Cavaliers within one run. After that, the only chance Virginia threatened was when there were runners on first and second and one out in the sixth, but Alabama got two strikeouts to prevent any runs. Virginia was able to compete with Alabama, but couldn’t get either enough baserunners or clutch hits to win.
Saturday 2/17 (Game 4)- Virginia 3, Southern Indiana 1
The Hoos got back in the win column later in the day, and made sure to score first in this matchup. Bella Cabral hit a sac fly in the first inning. Virginia’s two other runs were not as traditional, with both coming on wild pitches. In the second inning, M.C. Eaton and Kelsey Hackett singled, and then a wild pitch and fielding error helped Eaton score from second. Similarly, Eaton and Hackett loaded the bases on a walk and single in the fourth behind Shelby Barbee’s walk, and then pinch runner Kassidy Hudson scored on the wild pitch.
Madison Harris had a great outing for Virginia, picking up the win with only one hit allowed and nine strikeouts in 3.2 innings, striking out nine of the fourteen batters she faced. Southern Indiana managed one run off of Savanah Henley in the top of the fifth, but Henley secured the save in three innings in relief.
Sunday 2/18 (Game 5)- Virginia 9, St. Thomas 3
While Virginia struggled to produce baserunners in the first four games to varying degrees, that was not an issue in the final game. The Hoos had ten hits, St. Thomas committed four errors, and UVA scored nine runs in the matchup. Jade Hylton got things going with a two-run homer in the first, but then the offenses from both teams were unable to score until the sixth inning. Bella Cabral led off the sixth with a double, and then Shelby Barbee singled afterwards. With runners on second and third, Abby Weaver hit an RBI infield single, Kailyn Jones brought in another run, and Kelly Ayer hit a two-run triple to blow the game open at 6-0.
St. Thomas converted a double play right after to prevent Ayer from tagging up and scoring on a fly ball, and then had four hits and scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead in half. However, the Hoos weren’t done scoring yet. Jade Hylton hit an inside the park home run and Abby Weaver had a two-run double, as the Cavalier offense continued to wear down St. Thomas’s defense to put up nine runs and push the game out of reach.
Up next, the Cavaliers will play their first home games of the season as Virginia (6-4) hosts Delaware, Lehigh, and Iowa State in the Rawlings Classic next weekend, playing two games Friday, two Saturday, and one on Sunday.
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