Softball: Virginia falls to Liberty in mid-week showdown

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

The Virginia softball team (18-12) fell behind early and dropped a midweek contest to Liberty (18-12) at Palmer Park on Tuesday.

Liberty scored in the first, driving in three runs with two outs, using a single up the middle before a walk and a triple to right field would put the Flames on top 3-0. Liberty then added a single run in the second and fourth innings to take the lead out to 5-0.

Virginia got on the board in the fourth when Bailey Winscott delivered an RBI single through the right side to score Kelly Ayer. Ayer had reached on a walk and got into scoring position when Arizona Ritchie was walked.

Liberty would add one more run in the sixth inning for the final 6-1 margin of victory.

Aly Rayle (4-2) took the loss in the start, allowing the three runs on three hits with two walks in her 0.2 innings of work.

Karlie Keeney (9-6) picked up the win in relief, working 3.1 scoreless inning and allowing one walk with three strikeouts.

NOTES ON THE GAME

• Virginia is now 27-49 all-time against the Flames on the diamond.
• All six Liberty runs were scored as parts of two-out rallies for the Flames.
• Virginia played its fourth straight game without an error and has had only one error in the last six games.

FROM HEAD COACH JOANNA HARDIN

“I don’t think tonight was really indicative of the team we are this season. Liberty’s outfield made a couple of great plays where if the ball is a couple of inches one way or the other it is a completely different ballgame. Walks didn’t hurt us over the weekend, but they hurt us a bit tonight. We need to come out of the gate as a staff and attack early. When you give up a three runs early to a good ball club and have to play catch up it will be tough. We made some great plays on defense that kept us in it. We’ll get back after it and have a good Boston College team waiting for us this weekend we have to prepare for and get ready to go for the weekend.”

UP NEXT FOR THE HOOS

Virginia will go back out on the road this weekend with a three-game series in ACC play at Boston College. Game one begins at 3 p.m. on Friday (March 25) while game two is on Saturday at 1 p.m. and the finale is at noon on Sunday. All three games will be streamed on ACCNX.