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Virginia closes out another weekend series with win, defeating Georgia Tech, 4-3

Chris Graham

uva logo blue Guess what, folks? Virginia is going to the NCAA Women’s Softball Tournament this year.

The ‘Hoos (32-17, 15-9 ACC) beat Georgia Tech on Sunday, 4-3, to win their seventh ACC series in eight weekends.

The weekend ends with Virginia in the Top 30 nationally in RPI.

They’re going.

Eden Bigham (14-7, 2.15 ERA) got the win in the series finale with four innings of one-run, three-hit relief.

Impressive stats for the second-year: Bigham has 162 strikeouts in 133.1 innings, and a WHIP of 1.06.

Virginia took the lead for good in the sixth. A sac fly to right from Shelby Barbee brought home Abby Weaver before a single through the left side from Leah Boggs brought home Kailyn Jones and put the Cavaliers up 3-2.

An RBI single in the seventh from Barbee scored Jade Hylton to make it 4-2.

Georgia Tech (31-22, 12-12 ACC) got a run back in the seventh with a two-out single after the Yellow Jackets put two on with a walk and an error.

Bigham, who entered to start the fourth, then got a pop up to end the game and secure the series victory.

“It was grinding out a win today,” UVA head coach Joanna Hardin said. “It was a little warm, and we were a little flat to start. We had some chances to put the game away, but the name of the game is, can you finish and finish strong? Putting up those three runs in the sixth and seventh was huge. Shelby Barbee and Leah Boggs really came through down the stretch.

“We loved to see Eden close it out and bounce back from Friday night,” Hardin said. “Tip your hat to Mikayla Houge for giving us three innings today after the complete game on Saturday. The pitching staff put it together, and it’s going to take a whole team effort to keep going for the goals that remain ahead of us.”

Virginia has a bye week this week for final exams before the Cavaliers head to Durham, N.C., to compete at the ACC Softball Championships.

Play will begin with the quarterfinals on Thursday, May 9, with seeding, matchups and game times to be announced.

Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019, and Team of Destiny: Inside Virginia Basketball’s Run to the 2019 National Championship, and The Worst Wrestling Pay-Per-View Ever, published in 2018. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, or subscribe to his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].