Softball: Hoos even series against Eagles with 8-2 victory

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Virginia exploded for an eight-run fourth inning on Saturday afternoon to defeat Boston College by a score of 8-2 and even the weekend series with the Eagles.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Boston College (11-6, 1-1 ACC) scored in the first, putting two on before a single up the middle and a fielding error at center allowed a run to come home. The Cavaliers (12-5, 1-1) turned to the bullpen for southpaw Savanah Henley, who struck out the next batter and then coaxed a groundout to get the Hoos out of the frame.

Errors in the third inning allowed another run to come home as the first error on a double play attempt allowed BC to load the bases and a throwing error on a pickoff attempt brought a run home.

Virginia exploded in the fourth with and eight-run inning on the way to the win. It started with back-to-back hits from Bella Cabral and MC Eaton.

Cabral doubled off the wall in left center to open the inning and came home on a single to center from MC Eaton, and the runners switched places as she advanced to second on the throw home for Cabral.

The next two batters reached to load the bases and set up a third run on a walk of Abby Weaver. A fielding error in the next at bat pushed a third run home before Leah Boggs singled to left for the 4-2 lead.

An error on a fielder’s choice allowed a fifth run to score before the Hoos got a sac fly from Jade Hylton and an RBI groundout from Cabral to take the 7-2 lead. Lauren VanAssche capped the inning with an RBI single to let for the 8-2 lead.

Julia Cuozzo (1-1) picked up the relief win after entering with two outs and two in scoring position. Cuozzo worked 1.1 innings with two strikeouts and two hits allowed.

Halie Pappion (1-1) took the loss, allowing four runs – three of them earned – on seven hits allowed with a walk and two strikeouts.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• The win was the first of the season for Cuozzo, who has eight appearances and two starts this season.
• VanAssche got her first hit of the season with her RBI single to cap the eight-run rally.
• Virginia used four pitchers on the day as Mikayla Houge closed out the final 3.0 innings of the game. Madi Harris and Savanah Henley combined for the first 2.2 innings of the game.
• The eight runs in the fourth was the most scored in an inning by the Cavaliers this season.

FROM HEAD COACH JOANNA HARDIN

“I thought we were fighting and having great at bats in the early innings. We started to just quiet down defensively. It was a pretty ugly softball game on both sides of it. In that fourth inning we finally just flipped that switch and decided we were just going to attack.

“There was definitely a different intent in the dugout and at the plate. Bella Cabral, what a spark plug. She got that leadoff double and her energy and fight lit up the whole dugout. That was the spark we needed, and it was great to see. Mikayla Houge came in the fifth and gave us good innings doing what she does. We will clean things up and we need our fans to come out on Sunday and help us win this series.”

UP NEXT

Virginia and Boston College close the series with a noon contest on Sunday at Palmer Park.