Encouraged by a pair of wins against ranked opponents, Virginia softball returns from its West Coast swing to host Liberty in a doubleheader today.
The Cavaliers (14-12, 2-0 ACC) have had a somewhat up and down season thus far, amalgamating at 14-12 record, with two ACC wins. Even the squad's recent success at last weekend's Judi Garman Invitational - taking down No. 2 Arizona and No. 23 Lousiana-Lafeyette - was offset somewhat by three losses to Fresno State San Jose State and No. 8 Oklahoma.
As a result, senior outfielder Sarah Tacke noted that Virginia could easily stumble against Liberty (13-8, 0-2 Big South) if the players lose focus. Although Virginia holds the historical advantage over Liberty, with a 36-16 record against the Flames, the Cavaliers barely squeaked by them in last year's doubleheader and walked away with 2-1 and 7-6 wins.
"We just have to go out there and play hard, we can't take them lightly," Tacke said. "We have to be ready to play every pitch."
Freshman Melanie Mitchell will take the circle, looking to extend her recent dominance. During the team's trip to California, Mitchell skated through the tournament with a 1.25 ERA, and she leads the team with 131 strikeouts. Mitchell will hope to stifle the Flames' Kelly Strickland, who is batting .397 on the season, with eight home runs and 25 RBIs.
But the Cavaliers can counter with their own fearsome hitters, which they have in Tacke and senior pitcher Nicole Koren. Tacke leads the team with a .415 average, while Koren boasts a team-high seven home runs. The pair leads a Virginia offense that has improved physically and mentally during the past few seasons.
"We're a lot more consistent this year in general," Koren said. "I think we're a lot more mentally ready every pitch now. Before, if some of us, including myself, had a bad at-bat, we let it get to us a little bit. Now, I see us recover over and over again, and I think it's just going to keep getting better."
Virginia struggled against its tougher opponents last season, finishing just 2-15 in ACC play. After the two ranked wins in one of the nation's most prestigious tournaments, however, the Cavaliers have faith in their abilities.
"We've been doing a good job of being confident out there and knowing that we can do it," Tacke said. "We can put the ball in the right spot."
Such confidence may help the Cavaliers today in a high-stakes game, as a victory may help the team gain valuable momentum as it continues its season.
"We definitely didn't have an easy time last year again Liberty, so we're going to have to come out strong," Koren said. "I think it'll be good for us to have them before [Virginia] Tech. It will build us up so that we can really dominate."
After taking on the Flames tonight, Virginia will face the Hokies on the road this Saturday and Sunday.
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