On a chilly April afternoon, the Virginia softball team split a doubleheader against Longwood, winning the first game 5-2 before falling to the Lancers (19-15) in the second game 6-2.
Virginia (15-31, 1-14 ACC) jumped out to a quick lead in the first game, scoring two runs in the first inning. Back-to-back singles by freshmen Kelly Haller and Nicole Koren put runners on first and second with two outs. Junior Lindsey Preuss then drew a walk, and senior Meghan O'Leary singled up the middle to bring Haller and Koren home.
"I think anytime in a game when you can jump on top, it's much easier to stay there and play then to try and keep chipping away," Preuss said.
The Cavaliers added to their lead in the third inning when Preuss homered to left field off of Longwood freshman starting pitcher Ashley Forsyth (9-9). It was Preuss' third home run of the season. Three runs were all the Virginia pitching needed. Junior Whitney Holstun pitched a solid game, picking up the win by only giving up two unearned runs in seven innings of work. Holstun (4-3) scattered seven hits across seven innings and pitched two strikeouts.
"I think keeping them off the board was critical," Virginia coach Karen Johns said. "We've been getting behind early each game. I think keeping them at bay and then giving our bats a chance to work and giving us some confidence -- that was really important."
The middle of the lineup stepped up for the Cavaliers in the first game. Koren, Preuss and O'Leary -- the fourth, fifth and sixth hitters -- combined to go 7-10 with three runs, one home run and four runs batted in.
The second game of the doubleheader was the complete opposite of the first game. In the top of the first inning Longwood junior centerfielder Caitlin Hooe led off with a double and freshman Camille Ketsdever singled before junior Ryan Washington knocked in three runs with a home run to center field. After giving up another single, Virginia starter senior Coty Tolar (5-10) was pulled from the game before even recording an out.
Sophomore Karla Wilburn entered the game and got Virginia out of the jam in the first without giving up any more runs. The second inning, however, became a repeat of the first. With one out, Hooe ripped a single to right field, and Ketsdever hit a line drive over the right-field wall to make the score 5-0. Washington singled, stole second and then scored on a single by senior catcher Courtney Wilson. Being in the hole 6-0 put Virginia in a difficult situation.
"We started to get a little anxious; we probably weren't taking enough pitches," Johns said. "It's just tough; it changes everything you do on offense; you don't get to run as much as you'd like to; it takes away the hit and run; it takes away the steals that we would normally do under normal conditions."
Longwood junior Rachel Mills (9-4), who pitched in relief in the first game, pitched well in the second game to get the win. She gave up two earned runs on nine hits, but held the Cavaliers at bay.
"It was definitely frustrating. We were seeing the same pitcher, she was throwing the same stuff and we weren't making the right adjustment," Preuss said. "I think we started to hit her pitch. She had a nice inside drop ball that had a little kick to it and we kept chasing it and getting down two strikes and then we're in a bad count to be aggressive."
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