Miami came into the 2024 NCAA Tournament leading the nation in scoring and homers. Virginia pitcher Eden Bigham put up zeroes in both in a 7-0 ‘Hoos win on Friday in Knoxville.
Bigham (15-7, 2.24 ERA) held the Redhawks (48-8) to two hits, striking out 10 and walking three in the complete-game effort.
UVA (33-18) got a pair of two-run homers from Macee Eaton and Jade Hylton.
Hylton was 3-for-4 on the day with the homer, two runs scored and three RBIs.
“I was really happy with the performance today,” said UVA coach Joanna Hardin, who picked up her first win in an NCAA Tournament as a head coach since 2016, when she took McNeese State to the tournament, and led that team to an upset of Arizona State in a first-round game.
“We just played really heads up softball,” Hardin said. “I’m really proud of the overall effort. I’m proud of what they brought today. We’re happy, but we’re not satisfied, and we have to come back ready to play tomorrow.”
Virginia will play the region’s top seed, Tennessee, the #3 national seed, in the winner’s bracket game on Saturday.
The Vols defeated Dayton, 3-0, on Friday.
First pitch is set for 1 p.m. ET and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.
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Chris Graham
