Weatherspoon’s first at-bat resulted in a booming home run into the left field bleachers. That plate appearance summed up the afternoon — a 10-5 beatdown of rival Virginia Tech.
In order to avoid a season similar to last year’s 6-8 final record — the first losing season of Lars Tiffany’s 10-year tenure at Virginia — the Cavaliers must find a way to win this afternoon in College Park, Md.
No. 2 Virginia defeated No. 49 Duke 4-1 Friday afternoon at the Boar’s Head Sports Club, using a strong doubles start and commanding singles performances to remain unbeaten at home and in conference play.
Two weeks. Two weeks since the biggest loss of Coach Ryan Odom’s tenure in Charlottesville, and the Cavaliers (29-4, 15-3 ACC) will again meet the Blue Devils (31-2, 17-1 ACC), this time at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. at 8:30 p.m.
“It's important to respond when they have their runs because they're a good team that is capable of having their runs,” Thomas said. “So answering back was huge.”
Virginia’s power broke out in the bottom of the fifth — Harris reached on an error and Didawick singled before junior infielder Noah Murray turned around a middle-middle breaking ball, driving it into the left field bleachers and putting the Cavaliers on top 6-4.
Virginia now travels to Atlanta, Ga., for a second consecutive round of ACC play as they take on Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets (6-6, 2-2) are coming off a routine 4-0 victory over Virginia Tech (3-7, 0-2). Led by previous No. 47 senior Alejandra Cruz, the bout should prove to be another challenging matchup.
“They're really tough to deal with,” Odom said in February. “And they're even better in person than when you watch them on film.”
The match seemed to settle in the final quarter as both sides simply traded goals, ending with a 12-10 scoreline in favor of the Cavaliers. Piraino’s goal with 3:17 left was the final important action, securing a much-needed win over a ranked opponent.
“We got the lead to six a couple times in the first half, and then we wasted some possessions,” Wade said. “We took a bunch of mid range jump shots, a bunch of fadeaways. We got bottled up, which is what their defense does. That really bothered us and stunted us from being able [to] stretch the lead.”
With Hardin at the helm, the softball program has experienced a renaissance and this year, they are off to a roaring start.
Three beat writers discuss Virginia’s regular-season and postseason outlook, as the Cavaliers await the selection committee’s decision on Selection Sunday, March 15.
Virginia is just 3-15 all-time against the Wolfpack in the ACC Tournament, including a 3-9 mark in quarterfinal matchups and a 1-3 record in Charlotte — the Cavaliers are also just 3-22 against NC State at neutral sites.
“I can definitely say that I think I left the jersey in a better place. I think we did as a team,” Tillis said.
“Whenever Dallin talks, we listen to him,” senior center Ugonna Onyenso said. “He brings a different kind of energy to the game.”
To the Cavaliers’ credit, they did not go quietly come day three. Duangmanee was resurgent in his final round, shooting a 65 with a five-birdie, bogey-free back nine. It was the best individual score of the tournament across the entire field.
“It’s great to be at home,” Coach Joanna Hardin said postgame. “We love playing at Palmer Park and we look forward to seeing our fans at the ballpark on a beautiful weekend for a big series against Georgia Tech.”
“It was funny, we were out in the field and Sam and I were talking about going back-to-back next inning,” Tiroly said. “On the first pitch, I was fortunate enough to put a good swing on it and I come back to the plate, tap him on the chest and say ‘alright buddy, your turn.’”
Sunday belonged to junior Mira Berglund, whose masterclass propelled Virginia to the finish line.
This weekend, the No. 4 men (13-6, 3-1, MASC) and No. 6 women (13-7, 4-2, MASC) navigated a gauntlet of competition at the CSA Team Championships to secure their sixth and fifth consecutive top-eight national finishes, respectively.
