Just call them the Comeback Kids.
In a weekend set against No. 22 North Carolina, the Virginia softball team twice overcame late deficits to capture the series win.
For a team that only won two conference games last year, taking a pair from a perennial conference contender bears special significance.
"It feels pretty good," coach Eileen Schmidt said. "We were picked preseason to finish second to last in the ACC, so to beat a team like UNC is nice."
With Tar Heel senior pitcher ace Danielle Spaulding sidelined for the first matchup because of injury, Virginia (21-14, 7-1 ACC) jumped out to a 2-0 first inning lead against North Carolina senior pitcher Amber Johnson. Seniors Nicole Koren and Sarah Tacke stroked back-to-back solo home runs in the frame. North Carolina (27-13, 5-7 ACC) responded with runs in the second and third innings to tie the contest at two. During the top of the fifth, junior center fielder Dani Manko delivered a seemingly devastating two-run homer to put the Tar Heels up 4-2.
During the bottom half of the frame, however, Cavalier freshman left fielder Taylor Williams reached on an error and then scored on junior infielder Lauren McCaskey's single. Koren then blasted her second home run on the day, giving freshman pitcher Melanie Mitchell a 5-4 lead she would not relinquish.
"That was really exciting," Schmidt said about the comeback. "At [the Judi Garman Invitational] we banged on the door but hadn't quite gotten there yet. Now we finally did."
Virginia could not continue its momentum in game two, however, because Spaulding returned to the lineup for North Carolina and watered down the hot Cavalier bats. The lefty was unhittable, finishing with a complete game no-hitter and 13 strikeouts.
North Carolina was homer-happy in the second game, plating eight runs from four long balls. After giving up four runs in four innings, Mitchell gave way to sophomore Stephanie Coates, who allowed an additional four runs in the seventh. That support was more than enough, given that North Carolina won 8-0 behind Spaulding's performance.
"A healthy Spaulding is good enough to take UNC to the World Series," Schmidt said. "An unhealthy Spaulding still does a pretty darn good job."
The third game began with continued Tar Heel dominance. Through three-and-a-half innings, Spaulding still had not surrendered a hit and North Carolina led 1-0. But after 10 innings of no-hit softball, Spaulding was replaced by Johnson in the fourth. Virginia immediately capitalized on the opportunity. Sophomore shortstop Clara Kendall quickly produced the Cavaliers' first hit on the day. Virginia still trailed in the fifth inning when McCaskey was hit by a pitch and Koren walked. With two runners on bases, Tacke smashed her second bomb of the series, giving the Cavaliers a 3-1 lead.
"We'd been struggling all day, so I was just hoping to see a good pitch," Tacke said. "I think that pitch may have been a mistake by her, but that's how these things go. A few mistakes and you lose the game."
Mitchell ensured that home run was not in vain, pitching scoreless sixth and seventh innings and allowing just three hits on the day. Virginia's 3-1 victory secured its first series win against North Carolina since 2005.
During the series, the Cavaliers also proved they could hit the ball out of the park in clutch situations.
"Those were big blows, and we're not typically not a big blow team," Schmidt said. "We usually just bunt and bleed you to death, so that was exciting."
Yet Spaulding's 10 innings of no-hit ball tempered the team's enthusiasm and proved it has room for improvement.
"We've seen that type of pitching before, and we still haven't quite figured it out," Schmidt said. "These are just part of our growing pains; we need to learn how to adjust to that pitching."
For now, Virginia sits second in the ACC behind Georgia and is making noise nationally with its fifth win against four ranked opponents.
"We're still not playing our best ball yet," Schmidt said. "We still haven't peaked, and that's the exciting part"
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