The Virginia Cavaliers (14-26) had two midweek non-conference games against the Radford Highlanders (14-25) and the Liberty Flames (30-12). The Hoos defeated Radford on Tuesday at Palmer Park and fell to Liberty Wednesday afternoon in Lynchburg.
UVA defeated Radford 2-1 in an exciting Tuesday night game. Aly Rayle pitched 5.2 innings in her third win of the season, and Mikayla Houge closed out the game for her third save. Jessie Marvin took the loss for Radford, pitching a complete game. The Hoos jumped out to a fast start when leadoff hitter Katie Goldberg doubled and advanced to third on an error, and then Arizona Ritchie executed a sacrifice bunt to bring in the game’s first run. UVA added a second run when Tori Gilbert doubled and Mikaila Fox hit an RBI single. After being unable to score with runners in scoring position in the third and fourth, Radford strung together three singles in the sixth to push across one run. However, Mikayla Houge got a groundout to end the sixth and then retired the Highlanders in order in the seventh to secure the victory.
The Hoos were unable to defeat the Liberty Flames for the second time this season, losing by a final score of 3-2. UVA struck first in the second inning where Donna Friedman singled, Leah Boggs hit a sac bunt and advanced on an error, Mikaila Fox was hit by a pitch, and Bailey Winscott drew a bases loaded walk to bring in a run. However, Liberty responded with a run of their own on an RBI double from Emily Sweat. The Flames added two more runs in the fourth courtesy of a two-run triple from Devyn Howard. In the top of the seventh, the Hoos got their first two runners on base to knock out starting pitcher Karlie Keeney. Emily Kirby came in to pitch and Katie Goldberg laid down a sacrifice bunt to put the runners in scoring position with one out. After walking Arizona Ritchie to load the bases, Kirby got Ashley Jennings to hit an RBI groundout and then struck out Kate Covington to strand the tying and go-ahead runs and earn the save. Karlie Keeney got the win and Mikayla Houge took the loss for the Hoos, giving up three runs in 4.2 innings of work.
The Hoos will return home this week to resume ACC action, taking on the Syracuse Orange in their final home series of the season.
