UVA Softball Held to Three Hits in 5-2 Loss to Longwood

Although the Cavaliers are off to a historically good start to the season, they have developed a troublesome trend of struggling in midweek games after winning big ACC series. Virginia softball swept Boston College this weekend to improve to 8-1 in ACC play, UVA's best start to conference play in program history, but the Cavaliers suffered a disappointing setback in a 5-2 loss to Longwood on Tuesday evening at Palmer Park.

Virginia is now 1-3 in Tuesday games this season, with each of the losses coming on the heels of a major ACC series victory.

Longwood jumped on UVA starting pitcher Savanah Henley early, as the Lancers scored two runs in the top of the first on a two-run home run by Kayley Devivi. Henley settled in after that and made it to the third inning without any further trouble. Molly Grube entered the game and kept the Lancers off the board in the third and fourth to keep it a two-run game, but the Cavaliers could not get anything going offensively.

Sydney Backstrom was brilliant in the pitching circle for Longwood and held UVA without a hit for the first three innings. Backstrom pitched a complete game, giving up just two runs on three hits and striking out eight batters.

The Lancers stretched their lead in the top of the fifth inning. Mason Basdikis tripled the start the inning and then scored on a single by Lauren Fox. Molly Grube put another runner on base due to an error before being replaced by Mackenzie Wooten. Wooten struck out two batters, but then gave up two unearned runs as Alexis Wayland delivered a two-run single up the middle.

Virginia finally got on the board in the bottom of the fifth. Three of the first four batters reached base to load the bases and then Arizona Ritchie came home on an error for UVA's first run. The Cavaliers did not record a single hit in the inning, as each of their runners reached base on errors, walks, or fielder's choice. Backstrom got out of the inning after allowing just the one run and UVA stranded two runners on base.

After a scoreless sixth inning, The Cavaliers tried to stage a late rally as they loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the seventh. Backstrom struck out Katie Goldberg and then Leah Boggs flied out to right field to score Sarah Coon from third. Another Longwood error loaded the bases again and put the tying run on first base, but Backstrom got out of the jam as she got Abby Weaver to ground into a fielder's choice to end the game.

With the loss, Virginia falls to 21-13 (8-1 ACC). Up next, UVA welcomes No. 2 Florida State (30-2) to Charlottesville for a colossal ACC series this weekend. First pitch of game 1 is scheduled for Friday at 6pm at Palmer Park.

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