No. 23 Virginia softball returned to Palmer Park Friday for an ACC series versus California. Amazingly, a record-breaking crowd attended the Saturday game to show the Cavaliers (24-8, 6-3 ACC) their support — two victories and a loss to the Golden Bears (23-7, 6-3 ACC) gave Virginia its second ACC series win of the season.
“Our crowd was electric and unbelievable,” Coach Joanna Hardin said. “They have been behind us for years, but this series has seen them come out of their shell. They are a huge piece to why we are where we are this weekend. Thank you to everyone for coming out and being so invested in the game today.”
The start to the first game of the series was not in Virginia’s favor — California took advantage of the first two innings to jump out to a 3-0 lead. The Cavaliers pushed to tie the game in the fourth inning, notching three straight single runs to load the bases.
With the tying run on base, junior utility player M.C. Eaton came to the plate and proceeded to hit a go-ahead grand slam. All four players touched home plate — suddenly, Virginia had turned the tables, taking a 4-3 lead.
“That was a momentum swing for us,” Hardin said. “We knew Cal would be tough … They’re smart and play the game at a high level. We knew we would have to match that.”
Now, with the energy high and the crowd excited, it was easy for the Cavaliers to build on their success. Senior outfielder Kelly Ayer drove a triple to center field to send two more Virginia athletes home — sophomore infielder Bella Cabral followed soon after with a hit of her own that drove the score up to 7-3.
In the fifth inning, the Golden Bears tried to respond to the Cavaliers’ stellar fourth inning with a solo home run, but Virginia maintained a three-run lead. The seventh inning, though, is when they pounced just as they did at the beginning of the game.
California loaded the bases in the final inning and was ready to strike, but it could not find a clutch hit. By squeezing in two more runs in the seventh inning but struggling to finish strong, the Golden Bears cut the lead to one run but could not finish the job, and Virginia walked away with its first win of the series.
“It was a really gritty and tough outing for both sides,” Hardin said. “The crowd really gave us a lot of energy and momentum — it was a great environment. It’s what we play for and grind it out in practice every day for fun games and big moments.”
The energy from Friday carried into Saturday, and with it, a record crowd of 1,981 came to show Virginia its support and encouragement, driving the Cavaliers to a series-clinching victory.
However, the victory the crowd was hoping for took some time to earn. California, just like Friday, built up an early lead. This time, it was much larger — the Golden Bears were ahead 5-0 just a couple of innings in.
Virginia was far from out of the game, though. In the third inning, Ayer scored after a solid hit from sophomore infielder Macee Eaton, and Cabral was able to do the same after a groundout from senior utility player Sarah Coon. The Cavaliers still had ground to make up, though, and needed three more runs to tie the game.
Ayer struck again in the fifth inning, smashing a solo home run to cut the deficit to two runs. A critical seventh inning saw Coon blast her own home run, a two-run shot to tie the game with Virginia on its last legs. The game went to overtime, and the Cavaliers did not mess around, as junior infielder Jade Hylton doubled down the left field line to score the walk-off run — sending the record crowd into a frenzy.
“There were a lot of big moments,” Hardin said. “We’ve been punched in the face twice this weekend at the beginning of each game and we’ve responded … This is a special team.”
With the series secured, Virginia was hoping to earn a clean sweep Sunday. Unfortunately, California managed to earn a victory before the weekend was over.
The Golden Bears, as usual, scored in the first inning — but this time the Cavaliers responded and kept the score tied 1-1. The game remained tight — a critical third inning saw California take a 5-3 lead.
Virginia struggled to match the Golden Bears’ energy, and could not do anything but watch as they kept pushing players home. The Cavaliers’ defense was not as solid as they usually were — junior pitcher Eden Bigham was forced to take the loss, allowing seven runs on seven hits. In just six innings, Virginia had fallen 12-3 — its first home loss all season. All told, though, the series was an unqualified success, a victory over a top-five ACC opponent.
“We knew Cal was going to come out ready to go,” Hardin said. “Momentum is a real thing, and the momentum started and stayed on their side … We have a lot to learn and I’m excited to get back after it.”
Next up for the Cavaliers is a road series at Notre Dame, starting Friday at 6 p.m. Virginia has an abundance of momentum, having won eight of its last nine games, and will look to continue its success in South Bend, Ind.
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