UVa-Wise Softball Goes Winless Against NCAA DII Competition

February 26, 2006
Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore
Game 3 Boxscore

Greenwood, SC – A tough early season schedule will hopefully spell a successful rest of the year for The University of Virginia’s College at Wise softball team. The 2006 season started out rocky start as the Lady Cavs went winless in three games over the weekend against all NCAA Division II teams at the Lander Bearcat Classic.

UVa-Wise dropped an 8-0 five inning decision to UMass-Lowell in the first contest Saturday afternoon. The Lady Cavs fell behind 5-0 to host Lander in the second inning before the rain came and dropped the completed game Sunday morning by an 8-4 tally. The final contest produced the same ending as West Virginia Wesleyan handled UVa-Wise 3-1.

In the opener, Cyrilla Suker dominated the Lady Cavs hitters. Suker fanned 11 batters and held UVa-Wise to a lone single by Shelley Newton in the fourth inning on the way to the five inning, 8-0 win by UMass-Lowell.

After falling behind 7-0 over the first 3 ½ innings, the Lady Cavs had their best turn at the plate of the weekend. Britney Lawson, Sarah Frazier and Newton lined three-straight doubles to begin the bottom of the fourth. All three scored and Krystal Showers, who walked, added the fourth tally on a Alicia King ground out to make it 7-4. Lander would not let UVa-Wise any closer and went on for an 8-4 win.

The final affair was tight the whole game with the Lady Cavs falling short in the final two frames. West Virginia Wesleyan plated a score in the top of the first. UVa-Wise answered the run when Lawson sliced a lead off triple down the right field line and came home on a Dani Benton single to left as the next batter. A Newton single in the third was the lone hit the final six innings while West Virginia Wesleyan pushed across a run in both the sixth and seventh for the 3-1 win.

The Lady Cavs return back to Virginia for a twinbill at Emory & Henry College Wednesday afternoon at 2:00 p.m.

Game 1
UVa-Wise 000 00 0-1-2
UMass-Lowell 500 3x 8-11-0

WP: Cyrilla Suker (1-0) and C - Julie Brodie
LP: Amanda Wheeler (0-1) and C - Mary Wilson & Sarah Stone
2B: Brie O’Brien (L); HR: Laurie Tanguay (L)

Game 2
Lander 050 210 0 8-9-0
UVa-Wise 000 400 0 4-5-2

WP: Ashlea Burdette (6-3) and C - Lib Harris
LP: Mallory Mazur (0-1) and C - Shelley Newton
2B: Melissa Ryals (L), Lib Harris (L), Rachelle Lawrence (L), Britney Lawson (W), Sarah Frazier (W), Shelley Newton (W); 3B: Keri Davis (L)

Game 3
WV Wesleyan 100 001 1 3-7-0
UVa-Wise 100 000 0 1-4-3

WP: Cory Karcesky (1-0) and C - Shannae Pound
LP: Dani Benton (0-1) and C - Melanie Sutherland
2B: Kareen Bilotta (WV), Ashley Balndford (WV), Heather Hall 2 (WV), Lara Foster (WV); 3B: Britney Lawson (W)