Softball: Virginia claims series opener at Boston College

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

The Virginia softball team (19-12, 6-1 ACC) used a seventh-inning rally on Friday to take the series opener at Boston College (14-12, 2-5 ACC) by a score of 5-3.

Tori Gilbert got things started for the Hoos with a home run to straightaway center in the first inning.

The lead doubled in the second inning when Abby Weaver singled through the left side to drive in Katie Goldberg. Goldberg reached on an error before stealing second and taking third on a sac bunt from Leah Boggs.

Boston College got on the board in the bottom of the second with an RBI double from Kennedy Labshere and added a second run in the fourth when a fielding error allowed Labshere to score from second with two outs.

Virginia moved back in front with a two-RBI double from Gabby Baylog after the Hoos loaded the bases with one out in the seventh. The Cavaliers would load the bases again before Leah Boggs lifted a sacrifice fly to left to push another run home and Virginia took the lead out to 5-2.

Boston College would get a solo home run in the home half of the seventh, but the Hoos shut things down from there to grab the 5-3 victory.

Mikayla Houge (8-4) picked up the win in relief, allowing two runs – one earned – on five hits. She struck out two in her 6.0 innings of work.

Susannah Anderson (6-6) took the loss for the Eagles, allowing five runs – four of them earned – on five hits. She walked one and struck out five in her 6.1 innings of work.

NOTES ON THE GAME

• Virginia head coach Joanna Hardin picked up her 100th victory as UVA head coach with the win.
• Tori Gilbert’s home run was her eighth and she has a first-inning home run in back-to-back ACC games.
• The second-inning error snapped a stretch of four straight games without an error for UVA.
• The seventh-inning rally was the third straight in ACC play for the Hoos who have won each series opener.
• Virginia scored at least three runs in each seventh-inning rally to open all three ACC series this season.

FROM HEAD COACH JOANNA HARDIN

“Mikayla Houge came in and did a great job shutting down their offense. Boston College is a scrappy team and plays hard; they are never out of a game so we knew this series would be competitive. I challenged our team to match their energy and intensity because we knew it would be a dogfight. I’m proud of the bounce back. We started strong then went a little flat and got outside of ourselves in the middle of the game. They stuck with it and kept having quality at bats and got a big swing from Gabby Baylog in the seventh. Mikayla Houge kept us in the game the whole way. We’re looking forward to getting back after it on Saturday.”

UP NEXT FOR THE HOOS

Virginia and Boston College continue the weekend series on Saturday with a single game at 11 a.m. on ACCNX. The game time was moved up from 1 p.m. due to expected inclement weather in the area.