No. 21 Virginia entered 2025 with a 21-22 all-time record against Longwood. Two matchups this season have brought two victories, turning the tables on the Lancers (2-12, 0-0 BSC).
Their first meeting was a low-scoring, defensive battle with heroics from junior infielder Macee Eaton, including the game-winning home run — the second meeting was anything but. Every run scored in Virginia’s road showdown with Longwood Tuesday came from a home run. The teams combined for six in total — five came from the Cavaliers (14-1, 0-0 ACC), and of those five, two came from the bat of junior infielder Bella Cabral.
Cabral entered this week with two home runs and nine RBIs. Right now, those would both be good for fourth on the team — her fireworks against Longwood, with two home runs and four RBIs, elevated her to second and third in those categories as she led the squad to a 7-1 victory.
Excellent performances in the circle from junior Julia Cuozzo and freshman Taylor Smith held the Lancers to only two hits each. Cuozzo started and held her own for five innings, striking out seven and only walking one. While Smith did give up a home run in the seventh, she tossed three strikeouts with zero walks, closing out the final two innings.
“Julia was phenomenal,” Hardin said postgame. “Her outings keep getting cleaner and tighter. It was exciting to see Taylor Smith close things down after she’s been opening for us. Overall, it was a great way to start a busy and full week.”
Their busy week continued two days later with a 9-6 home win against George Mason, who proved to be a much tougher opponent. Unlike their previous game, the Cavaliers found themselves trailing almost immediately, falling behind by two runs in the top of the first inning. Cabral remedied the situation quickly, opening up the scoring for Virginia in the bottom of the first with a towering shot to send her, senior infielder Jade Hylton and senior outfielder Kassidy Hudson home.
Virginia lost its one-run lead in the top of the second but quickly regained it in the bottom of the inning, as Hylton contributed a two-RBI single to send freshman catcher Hannah Weismer and freshman outfielder Jaiden Griffith home. Hylton was not finished, however — an RBI triple brought Griffith home yet again in the fourth, putting the Cavaliers up 6-4, their largest lead of the game to that point. A groundout from Hudson brought Hylton in to extend the lead to three runs.
The Patriots (5-5, 0-0 A10) cut the deficit to one run in the fifth, but the Cavaliers’ scoring barrage did not stop, with home runs from Cabral and Weismer putting the game firmly out of reach. With her shot to center field, the freshman joined the junior as the only Virginia batters with multiple home runs this week.
Cabral’s final line against George Mason perfectly matched that of her Longwood outing. Her dual performances of 2-for-2, two homers, four RBIs and two walks mark one of the most dominant performances over a two game stretch for any Cavalier this season.
Another dominant performance came from senior pitcher Eden Bigham, who closed out the final 2.1 innings against George Mason and registered six strikeouts with zero hits and zero walks allowed. The senior has a history of handling the Patriots — she had a similarly astounding outing last season, tossing a complete game with 10 strikeouts, one hit and one walk.
After a pair of road and home victories, Virginia has now extended its win streak to 14 since its opening loss to then-No. 8 Arkansas. Through 15 games last season, their record stood at 10-5. The Cavaliers will look to climb within five of their program record for consecutive wins — 25 — in five home contests for the Party at Palmer Invitational. The first pitch of the homestand is slated for 12:30 p.m. Friday against Michigan.
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