It is not easy to come back from a tough start to the conference season, especially when the first set of losses comes against long-time rivals. However, No. 25 Virginia quickly moved on from its recent defeat at Virginia Tech and used the weekend series against Boston College at Palmer Park as a chance at redemption.
And redemption was what the Cavaliers (21-7, 4-2 ACC) found as they won three straight against the Eagles (10-11, 0-6 ACC), giving Virginia the start to the conference season that they so desperately wanted.
“We’re capable of doing great things and when we stay true to who we are it fires me up,” Head Coach Joanna Hardin said.
Leading the team throughout the weekend was sophomore infielder Macee Eaton. Senior catcher Sydney Hartgrove started off Friday by hitting a home run in the fourth inning to give Virginia the lead, but it was Eaton who came through to secure the win.
After Hartgrove’s solo shot, Boston College tied the game up just one inning later. With the score knotted at 1-1 and both teams exhausted, the game became a test of endurance.
Virginia had no luck in the bottom of the fifth inning. In the sixth inning, however, Eaton cracked a rocket over the fence to give the Cavaliers two runs on her sixth home run of the season. Now up 3-1, fifth-year pitcher Savannah Henley held down the fort and did not allow any runs to score for the Eagles, securing the win.
“It was a really tough game between two tough teams,” Hardin said. “We stayed really poised and calm — that will be important as we get into tighter games… We played clean and that will be key tomorrow and going into the rest of the season.”
Saturday, Virginia continued to show this clean play that Coach Hardin has been pushing for, winning both games of the doubleheader, which was also the final game of the series. Neither victory came easily, but solid team play put the Cavaliers over the top.
Virginia opened its first game Saturday by taking an early lead. The Cavaliers scored back to back in the first inning thanks to a single by Eaton and a strong hit by junior utility player M.C. Eaton.
Now up 2-0, a pair of home runs by M. Eaton in the third inning and senior infielder Reece Holbrook in the fourth inning kept Virginia’s lead. Although Boston College managed a pair of runs of its own in the fourth inning, it was not enough to match the Cavaliers’ scoring.
The final three innings were left at a stalemate — neither team added to their score, but Virginia did not need to. By the end of the seventh inning, the Cavaliers walked away with a 4-2 victory.
Virginia hit four spectacular home runs in game two Saturday. Junior infielder Jade Hylton and sophomore infielder Bella Cabral knocked out the first two in just the first inning — paired with a few other runs, the Cavaliers took a commanding 5-0 lead.
While the next few innings were relatively slow, Boston College finally responded to the five runs with five of its own in the fourth inning — suddenly creating a close game out of what was turning into a blowout.
Just like Friday’s game though, Eaton came through when she was needed most. She hit her second home run of the day in the fourth inning to keep the Cavaliers in the lead, and Hylton backed Eaton up with a home run of her own in the fifth inning to extend Virginia’s advantage.
But the Eagles were not done yet — they tied the score up 8-8 in the top of the seventh and final inning with a double and score on a Cavalier error. With Virginia runners on first and third base, all it needed was a single hit to send one of the players home and seal the walk-off win.
In the end, it was senior outfielder Kelly Ayer that clinched the victory for the Cavaliers with a hit up the middle of the field to score senior outfielder Kailyn Jones — ending the final game with a 9-8 Virginia victory. All told, strong team play carried the day for Virginia en route to a series sweep.
“It was super gritty on both sides,” Hardin said. “Doubleheaders are tough in conference play just knowing the weight of all those games. I’m proud of the fight and the continued rallies.”
M. Eaton’s two home runs Saturday solidified her position as team leader in both home runs, now at eight, and RBI total of 38. Hylton is not far behind with seven home runs of her own, the fourth all-time Cavalier in total career home runs — sitting at 31.
Virginia will stay home for another week, facing George Mason Tuesday at Palmer Park before welcoming California into town for a weekend series.
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