After a disappointing 1-3 weekend on the road against Georgia State and ACC rival Georgia Tech, the Virginia softball team (30-13, 0-2 ACC) returns to Charlottesville today, looking to regroup in its doubleheader against Marshall University (10-14, 3-3 Mid-American Conference).
Against Georgia State Friday, Virginia began its weekend in Atlanta with a two-game split. Dropping the opener 9-3, the Cavaliers avenged the loss to the Lady Panthers in the second match, which went to nine innings, beating their hosts, 3-2.
In the second game, junior third baseman Ruby Rojas, the most recent ACC player of the week, sent home the winning run in the top of the ninth inning with a two-out single. The hit provided Virginia with its sole victory of the weekend.
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After rain postponed scheduled games for a day, Virginia opened its ACC season against Georgia Tech (31-9, 4-0 ACC) Sunday. The Cavaliers faced off against the Yellow Jackets March 9 during their Spring Break trip to California. In that game, Virginia emerged victorious, 6-4, after 10 intensely competitive innings.
But Sunday, Virginia failed to rediscover their successful formula against Georgia Tech and dropped both ends of the doubleheader, 5-1 and 3-1.
The Cavaliers, going into the weekend, viewed Georgia Tech as a "good measuring stick," sophomore shortstop Heather Field explained after completing a clean 6-0 sweep at the previous week's Hoo's Who Tournament. "They're not Florida State and we've already beaten them once," Field said.
That afternoon, Rojas concurred.
"Our team is right where we want to be beginning conference competition," she said.
But in Atlanta, Virginia failed to build on its momentum.
Without a doubt, the games against Georgia Tech were some of the most important for Virginia thus far in the season. With the Cavaliers seeking a top finish in their conference and a bid to postseason play, victories over the Yellow Jackets would have made such aspirations more easily attainable.
"We definitely did not play as well as we're capable of playing," coach Cheryl Sprangel said. "Georgia Tech is an improved team but we basically beat ourselves. It's quite disappointing when we've been playing really well up until this point and then we decided to not show up. That's really why I was disappointed -- because we didn't play as well as we can."
Today, the Marshall University Thundering Herd should offer the Cavaliers an opportunity to reassess their strategies and make important adjustments. Sprangel cited the need to sharpen defensive play and to focus on hitting as key areas necessary for Virginia success in the future.
Additionally, "we need to come out and get some of our confidence back," Sprangel said.
The Herd arrives at The Park coming off a clean three-game sweep of MAC foe Buffalo to even out their in-conference record. In away games, however, Marshall posts an unimpressive 3-5 record.
Meanwhile, after a disheartening weekend on the road, the Cavaliers no doubt can find some solace in the fact that today's games will be played at The Park. Virginia enters the match defending a 28-game home winning streak, carried over from last season, a streak they have no intention of relinquishing.
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