Virginia finished the regular season with two wins against Hampton Tuesday night. The Cavaliers (22-30, 8-16 ACC) beat the Pirates (23-25, 7-17 Big South), ending their regular season at The Park with a no-hitter. It was Virginia’s last game at The Park, as they will move to a newly constructed stadium in the 2020 season.
Game 1: Virginia 5, Hampton 2
Virginia got on the board early in the first inning with a solo home run by sophomore infielder Hayley Busby in the first at-bat for Virginia. Busby was named ACC Player of the Week Tuesday after recording a .550 batting average over the course of the past five games. Her home run against Hampton was her 11th of the season.
The Cavaliers added three more runs in the second inning with just one hit by senior outfielder Erika Osherow. Sophomore outfielder Kate Covington led the drive with a hit-by-pitch and junior infielder Ashlee Davis followed with a fielder’s choice to put Covington on second. A throwing error by the pitcher allowed Covington to cross home and Davis scored on a fly-out to center field by Busby. Freshman infielder Arizona Ritchie scored the final run of the inning on a another fly ball to center by senior infielder Lacy Smith.
Hampton scored its only runs of the game in the top of the sixth. Three singles combined with a throwing error to cut down Virginia’s lead to two. The Cavaliers, however, responded in the bottom of the inning with an insurance run. Busby hit her 17th double of the season to drive in sophomore pinch-runner Molly Keshin. Virginia held the Pirates scoreless in the final inning to produce a 5-2 final.
Freshman pitcher Aly Rayle threw all seven innings to earn the win for Virginia. Rayle held the Pirates to two runs on four hits in the matchup and retired seven on strikeouts.
Game 2: Virginia 8, Hampton 0
Senior pitcher Allyson Frei tossed a five-inning no-hitter for Virginia, a suitable finish for Virginia’s last game at The Park. It was Frei’s first career no-hitter, and she recorded three strikeouts in the matchup.
Virginia scored in the first to secure an early lead and held it through all seven innings. After Busby singled to lead the inning, Smith came up with a double to left center. Busby scored on a single by freshman infielder Abigail Barber. The Cavaliers added a run in the third with singles by Osherow and freshman catcher Donna Friedman to make it a 2-0 game.
A five-run drive in the fourth allowed Virginia to pull even further away from Hampton. Ritchie doubled to center field, and Busby and Smith followed with back-to-back singles. A three-run shot by Barber added to extend the lead over the Pirates. Covington’s double in the fifth led to a run scoring — ending the game in a five-inning run rule.
Virginia advances to the 2019 ACC Softball Championships after a series sweep against N.C. State over the weekend. Play is set to begin May 8 in Tallahassee, Fla.
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