This weekend, the Virginia softball team continued to dominate its home field play, completing their Hoo's Who Tournament with a first place finish and a perfect 6-0 record against Drexel, Wright State and Penn State. The victories extend the Cavaliers' home winning streak to 28 games. With last Tuesday's games against Virginia Tech canceled due to inclement weather, the weekend competition was the first the Cavaliers (29-10) had seen since their Spring Break trip to California.
Virginia easily defeated the Drexel Dragons (3-18) on Friday, 11-2 and 2-0. Saturday, the Cavaliers squared off against the Raiders of Wright State (5-13) and took the twin bill, 4-0 and 6-4.
Virginia faced its greatest challenge, as predicted, in Sunday's doubleheader against the Nittany Lions of Penn State (12-13). But in front of a substantial crowd, including a vocal contingent from Pennsylvania, the Cavaliers handled their visitors with consistent hitting down the lineup and an effective defensive effort, emerging victorious from the first meeting, 4-2, and finishing 5-2 in the nightcap match.
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In Sunday's opening game, Virginia registered runs in each of the first three innings thanks in part to five Penn State errors and went up 3-2. Penn State, after securing two runs, failed to score again for the rest of the game. The Cavaliers notched their fourth and final run in the top of the fifth inning when, with two outs, sophomore shortstop Heather Field singled to right field, sending junior Ruby Rojas home. The Nittany Lions looked to end the inning safely by intentionally walking senior All-American Kristen Dennis and facing Field, but the strategy backfired.
"You know they're going to walk her," Virginia coach Cheryl Sprangel said of Dennis. "Heather really stepped up and made a great contribution."
On the mound, Dennis pitched a complete game after a one and a half game effort against Wright State the previous afternoon. Coming into the weekend, Dennis was leading the Cavaliers with a miniscule 0.72 ERA. Dennis allowed five runs in seven innings and with the victory, improved her season record to 14-4.
"Kristen Dennis pitched a great game today," Sprangel said. "She threw a game and a half Saturday. I knew she could play again but I was a little worried about her being tired. It was courageous on her part to come out and do what she did."
In the nightcap, the Nittany Lions led for the first and only time of the day with a one-run showing in the top of the second. But the lead was short-lived. In the bottom of the third inning, Field found herself in an identical position as in the previous game, with two outs and both Rojas and an intentionally-walked Dennis on base. Rising to the occasion for a second time, the shortstop sent a ball down the first base line for a triple and two RBIs.
"You're my hero, Heather," senior pitcher Erin Allinder, who had given up the Penn State run, yelled from the sidelines.
"I know teams may walk Dennis to avoid her," Field said. "So I go up to the plate with the mentality that I'm just as much of a threat as she is."
Virginia ended any doubts of a close game the following inning with another two runs to secure the 5-2 victory.
In the inning, Rojas, in a stellar 5-for-7 hitting effort on the day, sent home Virginia's fifth and final run of the game. Having lamented a slow start on the season, Rojas shone from the plate. On defense, the junior moved across the infield from her usual position at third to take over first base due to an injury to first base regular Hannah Owings.
"I've just been telling myself I'm not in a slump," Rojas explained. "And that it's a brand new season. After seeing some of the best in the country out in California, I'm feeling confident and I've been seeing the ball a lot better."
Allinder finished with a nine hit, two run effort which improved her record to 4-2.
Sprangel credited the victories to an all-around team effort on both sides of the field.
"What impressed me the most was so many people stepping up to help the team today," Sprangel said. "We have some people who are sick or injured but even against a good hitting team, we were able to play together and play really well"
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