Softball: Cavaliers earn 3-2 walk-off victory against Wolfpack to take series

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Posted on Sunday, Apr. 14, 2024, 8:16 pm

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Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Photo: UVA Athletics

Virginia grabbed its fifth series win in ACC play on Sunday, as the Cavaliers walked off NC State with a 3-2 victory at Palmer Park.

Seniors came up big in securing the victory, as Leah Boggs laid down a bunt to move a runner from first to third and Abby Weaver’s sac fly brought home the game-winning run in the seventh.

HOW IT HAPPENED

NC State got on the board in the third with a triple to right from Taylor Ensley that was just out of the reach of a leaping fielder, allowing MaKayla Marbury to score from first. Marbury walked to open the inning. Ensley then scored on a sac fly to left from Madison Inscoe to make it 2-0 for the Wolfpack.

Jade Hylton homered in the fifth inning to get the Cavaliers (28-13, 11-7 ACC) on the board, sending the 1-0 pitch into the home bullpen in left field. Bella Cabral tripled in the next at bat before being replaced on the basepath by Kailyn Jones. Jones scored on a sac fly to left from Abby Weaver as the Hoos tied the game at two.

The Cavaliers went back to work in the seventh, starting the inning with Kelsey Hackett reaching when she was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Boggs then pushed her bunt down the first and beat the coverage, while Hackett went first to third on the play with the hot corner left uncovered. After a fly out to center, Bella Cabral drew a walk to bring Weaver to the plate for the sac fly to center to get the win.

Eden Bigham (13-6) picked up the win, allowing two runs on four hits with two walks and seven strikeouts in the complete-game effort. It was her second complete game of the weekend as she shut out the Wolfpack (23-20, 3-15) in the series opener.

Rylee Wyman (6-5) took the loss as she allowed the three runs on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

  • With the win, Virginia has now won three of the last four series against NC State with the 2021 four-game series being a 2-2 split in Charlottesville.
  • Eden Bigham matched her win total (13) from a year ago with the decision in Sunday’s finale.
  • Jade Hylton hit her team-leading ninth home run of the season with her fifth-inning solo shot.
  • Virginia won its fifth ACC series with the win over the Wolfpack. It marks the first time since 2010 that the Hoos have won five ACC series in a season.
  • It is the first time UVA has won five three-game series in ACC play in program history. The Maryland series win in that 2010 season was a doubleheader sweep and not a three-game series.

FROM HEAD COACH JOANNA HARDIN

“It was a really scrappy effort across the board. It was our second come-from-behind effort this weekend. Yesterday we fought back and came up short, but today we were able to finish it off. I’m really proud of our senior class. They’ve been through a lot. We scored a lot of runs with two outs this weekend. I’d like to see some of the softball piece cleaned up and the decision making. It was a hard-fought weekend and I’m proud of the effort. We’ll enjoy the afternoon together and celebrate our fourth-year students, what they’ve done and what we still have ahead of us.”

UP NEXT

Virginia closes out the home schedule on Tuesday against Virginia Tech in a Smithfield Commonwealth Clash matchup. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. at Palmer Park.