Softball: Tar Heels take both games of Sunday’s double dip
Posted on Sunday, Mar. 10, 2024, 9:14 pm
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Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Photo: UVA Athletics
The Virginia softball team dropped a doubleheader at North Carolina on Sunday, falling to the Tar Heels 4-1 in game one and 6-1 in game two.
GAME 1: North Carolina 4, Virginia 1
Virginia (15-7, 3-3 ACC) struck first with a sacrifice fly from Bella Cabral that scored Leah Boggs in the third inning. Boggs reached on a single and stole second before taking third on a passed ball to set up the score on the Cabral fly out.
North Carolina (19-4, 2-1) answered in the fourth, capitalizing on an error to put runners at the corners. A single up the middle pushed the first run home before the Hoos would turn a double play at third that left a runner at second. She came home in the next at bat on a double to center for the unearned run and the 2-1 lead.
The Tar Heels pushed two more runs home in the fifth, with a two-RBI double from Abby Settlemyre. The 4-1 advantage would hold the rest of the way as North Carolina took game one.
Mikayla Houge (0-1) took the loss in relief, allowing four runs – three earned – on eight hits with for strikeouts through 3.1 innings of work.
Kenna Raye Dark (4-0) picked up the win, allowing the one unearned run on three hits through 7.0 innings of work.
GAME 2: North Carolina 6, Virginia 1
Virginia got on the board first for the second time Sunday afternoon, plating a run in the first inning when Macee Eaton delivered a two-out single to right field that scored Bella Cabral. Cabral singled and advanced to second on a groundout to get into scoring position for the Eaton hit.
North Carolina answered with two runs in the third off a two-run home run from Sanaa Thompson. The Tar Heels added two more runs in the fourth on a bases-loaded single up the middle with two outs from Thompson.
A two-run home run from Autumn Owen in the fifth inning took the lead out to 6-1 in favor of the Tar Heels.
Eden Bigham (6-4) took the loss as she allowed three runs on two hits with six walks and four strikeouts through 3.2 innings of work.
Britton Rogers (8-0) picked up the win, allowing the one run on two hits with seven walks and eight striekouts through 6.1 innings of work.
FROM HEAD COACH JOANNA HARDIN
“Today was a tough day. I don’t think we played to our capabilities on both sides of the ball. Three errors on the day in big moments were costly. We had a couple of opportunities with runners in scoring position where we didn’t get the timely hit.
“We just have to go to work and keep grinding, but offensively we are putting a lot of pressure on our pitching staff. We have to put up runs and execute in situations. Overall, we have to be better across the board and there is no secret to that. This league is tough. I have confidence in our team and believe in what we’re doing. We’re gonna get back to work and be ready to play at Maryland on Tuesday.”
UP NEXT
Virginia will continue to play on the road with a midweek contest at Maryland on Tuesday night at 6 p.m.
