Junior pitcher Eden Bigham entered the weekend already at 321 strikeouts in her career, putting her at the No. 10 all-time spot and just six strikeouts away from No. 9 for No. 25 Virginia.
The Party at Palmer Invitational, hosted by the Cavaliers (15-5, 0-0 ACC) from Friday to Sunday, was a chance for Bigham to cross that threshold. That was a minor achievement, however, compared to her performance Saturday, as Bigham worked five perfect innings and threw the program’s first perfect game since 1994 — helping Virginia defeat Hofstra 17-0.
“It’s really special to be part of a perfect game,” Coach Joanna Hardin said. “…[Eden] was totally in the zone and you don’t get to see that very often. It was great to put up the run support and it was a big game for her. We’re proud to play defense behind her.”
Bigham’s skillful pitching was a fitting illustration of Virginia’s dominance over the weekend. The team was an effective unit in every facet, playing stellar defense and going on crazed hitting sprees to take and maintain the lead. Altogether, the Cavaliers defeated Cornell 8-0 Friday, Seton Hall 11-6 Friday and 18-5 Saturday and Hofstra 17-0 Saturday and 12-1 Sunday.
“We’re feeling really confident and comfortable, so that’s exciting,” Hardin said. “Everyone is playing off each other well. We’re going to enjoy these games and … keep our momentum rolling and know that tomorrow is a new day.”
Saturday was one of the best performances of the series — the Cavaliers arrived at Palmer Park, ready for a second match against the Pirates (5-9, 0-0 Big East) and their first faceoff of the weekend against the Pride (1-13, 0-0 CAA).
Seton Hall started strong against Virginia, giving the team a taste of its own medicine by scoring three runs in the first inning. Junior infielder Jade Hylton responded with a home run to get the Cavaliers on the board, cutting the deficit to two runs.
In the third inning, though, the Virginia offense went on a tear. By continuously loading the bases and knocking out triples and doubles, the Cavaliers recorded 13 runs to decimate the Pirates’ lead and create a healthy advantage of their own. They widened the gap even further with four more runs in the fourth inning — Seton Hall managed just two more runs as Virginia won the five-inning affair by a 13-run margin.
The Cavaliers turned its attention to Hofstra on the heels of a dominant win. Virginia racked up a couple of runs in the first and second inning to take the lead — once again, though, it was the third inning where the offense fully came to life. Nine runs later, the score was 13-0. The entire time, the Pride could not manage to get past Bigham, who struck out nine of the 15 batters she faced. With almost a thousand people in attendance, everyone watched as the Cavaliers proved why they deserved their national rank and shut out Hofstra 17-0.
Hardin attributed Virginia’s success Friday and Saturday to a solid offensive approach and an ability to get runners on base, pointing to a few key statistics that illustrate the Cavaliers’ dominance at the plate.
“We definitely hit our marks for quality at bat percentage, over .500 in both games, and well over our .600 mark for plate appearances with runners in scoring position and that’s really key for us,” Hardin said. “We came through in some key moments.”
Before the offensive explosions Saturday, the Cavaliers’ first games of the weekend Friday were characterized by four home runs that gave them a total of eight runs over two games against the Big Red (4-6, 0-0 Ivy League) and the Pride. Virginia scored three runs in the first inning of both matches while both teams were still scoreless.
While the Cavaliers managed to shut out Cornell for all six innings, their matchup against the Pirates Friday was more tightly contested. However, Bigham stepped up to secure the win for Virginia — working just over three innings and notching three strikeouts.
After a strong start to the weekend Friday and a historic Saturday, the Cavaliers looked to close out the series Sunday with a final victory, facing Hofstra once again. Perhaps feeling the effects of playing four games in the two days prior, both teams took some time to find their rhythms Sunday, with neither Virginia nor Hofstra scoring in the first inning. By the bottom of the second inning, the Cavaliers were back in full force.
The team played exceptionally and energetically — a triple by senior infielder Reece Holbrook put Virginia on the scoreboard, scoring senior utility player Sarah Coon and junior utility player M.C. Eaton. The runs piled up too quickly to count, as the Cavaliers went from zero to six runs in just half an inning.
Strong team play continued in the third inning — while the Pride managed to squeeze in one run, Virginia responded with another six runs of its own. With the score now sitting at 12-1, the Cavaliers did not have to worry much about the final couple of innings. Ending the game in the fifth inning thanks to the run rule, Virginia closed out the series with a clean sweep, winning all five of its games.
After building on last weekend’s six-game winning streak, the Cavaliers now hold an 11-game winning streak. Virginia’s conference-opening match is just days away, facing Virginia Tech on the road in the Commonwealth Clash Friday evening. First, it will return to Palmer Park to face Longwood Tuesday afternoon at 4 p.m. — one last chance to tune up ahead of ACC play.
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