Virginia Softball Earns Walk-Off Win to Clinch Series Over NC State
Virginia softball gave its seniors a proper send-off this weekend, as the Cavaliers took two out of three games from NC State, including a walk-off victory in Sunday's finale, to win their final home series of the regular season at Palmer Park.
Game 1 (Friday, 4/12): NC State 0, Virginia 2
Eden Bigham reprised her role as UVA's superstar pitcher in the series opener on Friday, going the distance for her fourth complete-game shutout of the season. In seven innings, Bigham gave up just three hits and three walks and struck out eight batters. NC State had a runner in scoring position only once in the entire game. Virginia needed that stellar effort out of the circle from Bigham, as the offense produced only two runs on eight hits, stranding seven runners on base in the game. UVA got a pair of RBI singles from Kelsey Hackett in the second and sixth innings that proved to be the difference in Virginia's 2-0 victory.
Game 2 (Saturday, 4/13): NC State 10, Virginia 9
If Friday's game 1 was the ideal outcome for UVA's pitching staff, Saturday's game 2 was perhaps the exact opposite. The Cavaliers scored nine runs on 13 hits, but lost the game as NC State managed to plate four runs in the second, three in the fifth, and three in the sixth to win the high-scoring affair. Only seven of the 10 runs the Wolfpack scored were earned, as the Cavaliers committed a pair of costly errors. Virginia got three RBI performances from Leah Boggs and Jade Hylton, but UVA also stranded 10 runners on base in the loss. Trailing 10-6 entering the final frame, the Cavaliers nearly rallied in the bottom of the seventh with three runs, but their comeback effort came up just short.
Game 3 (Sunday (4/14): NC State 2, Virginia 3
On a day that the program honored its senior class, it was those seniors who came up big in the series-clinching victory. After a scoreless first two frames, NC State got on the board with a pair of runs in the top of the third inning. Those would be the only two blemishes in what was otherwise another brilliant outing from Bigham, who threw her second complete game of the weekend. The Cavalier bats were held scoreless until the bottom of the fifth, when Jade Hylton delivered a home run to left field and then Bella Cabral hit a triple to right field. Kailyn Jones pinch ran for Cabral and scored on an Abby Weaver sacrifice fly to tie the game.
Bigham retired the side in order in the sixth and seventh, giving the Cavaliers an opportunity to win the game in the bottom of the seventh. Kelsey Hackett was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on a bunt single by senior Leah Boggs, and then scored on another sacrifice fly by fellow senior Abby Weaver for the walk-off win.
Bigham was credited with her second win of the series and 13th win of the season, surrendering only two runs on four hits and striking out seven batters.
The win gave Virginia its fifth ACC series victory of the season, breaking a program record for most three-game series wins in ACC play in a single season.
“It was a really scrappy effort across the board. It was our second come-from-behind effort this weekend. Yesterday we fought back and came up short, but today we were able to finish it off," said Virginia head coach Joanna Hardin on Sunday. "I’m really proud of our senior class. They’ve been through a lot. We scored a lot of runs with two outs this weekend. I’d like to see some of the softball piece cleaned up and the decision making. It was a hard-fought weekend and I’m proud of the effort. We’ll enjoy the afternoon together and celebrate our fourth-year students, what they’ve done and what we still have ahead of us.”
Virginia will play its final home game of the season on Tuesday at 6pm at Palmer Park when Virginia Tech comes to town for the Commonwealth Clash.