After dropping a midweek heartbreaker to No. 21 Liberty and a Friday rain-out, Virginia returned home Saturday afternoon for a doubleheader against Syracuse. The Cavaliers (29-13, 10-7 ACC) desperately needed a win after losing their past three games. Fortunately, Syracuse gave them two no-hit, shutout victories in Saturday’s doubleheader — a 5-0 win in the first game and a 10-0 mercy rule in the second.
At the start of the first game, Virginia struck early, getting one run in after sophomore infielder Macee Eaton had a perfectly-placed hit, dropping just out of reach for the left fielder and rewarding Eaton with her 49th RBI of the season. The Cavaliers kept building in the bottom of the second with a double from senior outfielder Kelly Ayer, scoring junior outfielder Kelsey Hackett and junior infielder Jade Hylton to make it 3-0 for Virginia.
Virginia kept it clean in the field the first few innings as sophomore pitcher Julia Cuozzo threw 5.1 innings, allowing zero hits or runs. When she began to struggle, junior pitcher Eden Bigham came in for relief, shutting down the Orange (22-18, 3-15 ACC) offense. The two pitchers combined for a no-hitter, the team’s second of the year.
To top it all off, junior utility player M.C. Eaton hit a two-run shot on a 2-2 count in the bottom of the sixth to give insurance. There was much to be happy about after the game with a dominant performance on both sides of the ball.
“I think it was really important for us to turn the page and execute on all sides of the ball to our capability,” Coach Joanna Hardin said. “There’s never an easy series in this league, it's really tough. So it’s just one game at a time and remembering who we are.”
Game two had a similar story to the first, with back-to-back-to-back singles by Hylton, Ayer and sophomore infielder Bella Cabral to start the game. With bases loaded and only one out, the stage was set for senior utility player Sarah Coon, who hit the ball out of the park for her first career grand-slam. The crowd went wild as she made her way around the bases and her teammates met her at the dugout steps with a toy horse and a saber to imitate a Cavalier.
“It feels awesome to finally do it after having plenty of opportunities but always hitting the top of the fence,” Coon said postgame. “Honestly, I wasn’t even thinking about it in the moment, so it was kind of surreal.”
Now with a four-run lead, junior pitcher Courtney Layne and her defense continued to dominate, keeping the Orange at bay. The Cavaliers kept manufacturing runs in the bottom of the third, when senior outfielder Kailyn Jones hit an infield single to score senior catcher Sydney Hartgrove. Hylton kept the rally going with a deep double to center field which scored two more runs, making it 7-0. By the end of the third, the score was 10-0 thanks to a couple of timely hits from Ayer and Macee Eaton.
The game ended in the fifth due to the mercy rule, giving Virginia its second win of the day. In addition to a second win, it was also the second no-hitter of the day, this time a combined job from Layne and freshman pitcher Ava Hodges.
“It’s pretty incredible and I think it's really special,” Hardin said. “We work as a bullpen … they executed their pitches, mixing speeds really well and inviting contact, with the defense making plays behind them. I’m really proud of all of them.”
With the help of the two no-hitters and the Coon grand-slam, the Cavaliers were able to snap their losing streak and gain some momentum going into Sunday — they’ll have the opportunity to sweep the Orange. However, even though going into game three with the series already won relieves some pressure off Virginia, it should not be an excuse for them to take its foot off of the gas.
The Cavaliers have had trouble finishing each series strong, especially against ACC opponents. For example, just last week Virginia beat No. 9 Florida State in game one, then fell apart in game two and got demolished in game three. At this point in the season, if the Cavaliers want a spot in regionals, it is imperative that they sweep Syracuse and pick up as many wins as they can.
Virginia will return to action Sunday at 1 p.m. for the final game against Syracuse and a celebration of Thomas Jefferson’s 282nd birthday at Palmer Park.
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