It was a beautiful day for softball at the Park yesterday as the Virginia team swept UNC-Greensboro in a non-conference doubleheader.
Virginia (21-16) took the first game in strong fashion as freshman pitcher Erin Horn threw a two-hit shutout to improve her record to 9-7 on the season.
UNC-Greensboro (21-6) could not find a way to combat Horn's dominating pitching and Virginia took advantage. The Cavaliers scored seven of their nine runs in the first two innings as they easily cruised to a nine-run shutout win.
"Erin is the type of pitcher that just nibbles away at the corners," Virginia coach Cheryl Sprangel said. "She won't give up a lot of big hits."
In addition to holding the Spartans scoreless, Horn only allowed harmless two hits in the game.
"I've kind of been down on confidence a lot so it was nice to have a good performance and get me back into the swing of things," Horn said.
The second game in the doubleheader was a completely different storyturning out to be a battle from beginning to end for both teams.
UNC-Greensboro took the lead in the top of the second inning as starting senior pitcher Amber Watson singled to left-center, giving the Spartans the one-run lead. The lead would not stand for long as Virginia junior Hannah Owings knocked a solo shot out of the park to tie the game at one run a piece.
In the top of the third, UNC-Greensboro jumped out to a 3-1 lead after strong hitting and then followed up its two-run third inning performance with home runs in the next two innings, giving them a 5-1 advantage.
Virginia looked to be heading for its 17th loss of the season, but the fifth inning changed all that.
"This team's got a good fighting attitude," freshman infielder Sara Larquier said.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Virginia took the game into their own hands, as senior third basemen Ruby Rojas stepped up to the plate.
With one out and the bases loaded, Rojas lined a powerful shot into left field, bringing home two runs and narrowing UNC-Greensboro's lead to 5-3.
"Ruby's awesome -- she is just so key for us," Sprangler said. "If the other players can get on and put some runners in front of her, we know she's money."
Rojas' single was only the first step in Virginia's comeback as the freshman Larquier stepped up to bat next.
"I needed to relax," Larquier said. "I was kind of tense the other two at bats."
She took the pitch from off the plate and sent the ball screaming to dead center field. The UNC-Greensboro outfielder went back until she ran into the outfield fence and bounced off it in disbelief that Virginia had come back to take the lead.
Larquier's three-run home run gave the Cavaliers the 6-5 lead and the eventual winning run.
"I really didn't think it was out, and it was just hanging out as a long deep fly ball," Sprangler said.
Rojas added two insurance runs for Virginia in the bottom of the sixth as Virginia took the second game, 8-5, and swept UNC-Greensboro in the series.
Virginia will return to action this weekend in the Carolina Classic in Chapel Hill, N.C.
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