No. 17 Virginia has not defeated No. 11 Virginia Tech in a series since 2011 — with a 4-3 victory Friday night, the Cavaliers (33-6, 10-5 ACC) are one game away from breaking the Commonwealth Clash drought and taking the weekend over the Hokies (34-6, 9-4 ACC).
The series opener began in a stalemate, but an initial absence of fireworks did not put a cap on the energy at Palmer Park. During the early innings of the Friday night showdown, a packed crowd — with Hokie faithful aplenty — watched every pitch with borderline obsession.
Postgame, Coach Joanna Hardin commented on the intensity of the matchup and how she desired to see the team carry it forward.
“If you don't want this, I don't know why we're doing it,” Hardin said. “I don't know why we work all the hours we do to not have the game where we are just going at it. So that's what I'm hoping for. And I just want our team to go, just go be gangbusters … and go for it.”
Both Virginia and Virginia Tech trotted out aces to start in the circle. In the ensuing duel, Cavalier senior Eden Bigham and Hokie junior Emma Mazzarone combined to allow only two hits and collectively struck out six batters across the first three innings. The former’s impressive performance to open the Clash comes after a weekend of struggle against the Blue Devils, a series where she registered her second- and fourth-worst ERAs of the season.
Although she would allow the first score of the game off a double in the fourth, Bigham struck out the next batter following a mound visit, retiring the side. The senior exited the circle with five strikeouts, two hits and one earned run across 4.1 innings pitched, earning her 12th win of the season.
The fireworks, however, would soon begin for the Cavaliers — a lead followed.
After junior infielder Macee Eaton was hit by a pitch, senior outfielder Kelsey Hackett reached first on a fielder’s choice which resulted in Eaton getting forced out at second. Hackett was not alone on the bases for long, with a single from redshirt freshman catcher and utility player Reagan Hickey advancing her to second.
Fortunately for the Cavaliers, sophomore infielder Alex Call was due up — and due for a dinger. The sophomore rocketed a 1-2 pitch over the left field wall for her fifth homer of the season, granting Virginia a 3-1 advantage.
Eaton combined with senior infielder Jade Hylton to strengthen the Cavaliers’ position, with an RBI single from the former sending the latter home to tack on another run in the fifth. It was the junior’s 54th RBI of the year, good for the team lead by nearly 20. The lead, however, would not go unthreatened for long.
Junior pitcher Julia Cuozzo, having entered the game for Bigham in the fifth, loaded the bases in the sixth with only one out. After an infield single brought a Hokie home, Eaton threw a runner out at home for the second out. Cuozzo walked in a run following a lengthy at-bat from Hokie junior utility player Addison Foster, but a fly out would end the Virginia Tech advance with Virginia still possessing a one-run lead.
Cuozzo’s services would be required quickly, with a 1-2-3 sixth inning from Virginia bats keeping the lead to a single run entering the seventh. The junior struck out the first batter, and a heads-up play from Hylton would yield the second out — a line drive ricocheted off of Cuozzo’s arm, but the shortstop managed to pluck the ball from the ground and heave it to first, where Eaton scooped it for the out.
“The funny thing about defense for me, at least, is … it's reactive,” Hylton said. “I saw the ball go off Julia, and I was moving in to back her up, and just happened to be right where I needed to be.”
With Virginia only one out from victory, freshman infielder Hannah Tober fielded a grounder and tossed it to first to stall the Hokies’ comeback attempt permanently.
The victory is the Cavaliers’ 10th ACC win of the season, their first since before a sweep at the hands of Duke last weekend. Saturday, Virginia will aim to clinch its first Commonwealth Clash in 15 years — first pitch is slated for 2 p.m.
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