So did you have trouble keeping up with everything that happened in UVa athletics over the weekend? From the ACC lacrosse tournaments to the baseball team’s big series with Miami to the streaking softball team to the NFL draft, it was an eventful few days for Cavalier athletes. In case you were at Foxfield, or still recovering from Foxfield, or otherwise busy/distracted/comatose, here’s a short synopsis of the major Virginia sports news:
BASEBALL
The Cavaliers traveled to Miami with a 14-game winning streak, a No. 15 ranking and the ambitious goal of proving themselves on a national stage. Instead, they nearly got blown off the stage by the No. 4 Hurricanes.
Virginia lost 8-0 on Friday and 22-3 on Saturday, giving up 36 hits and committing 10 errors in the process. Ugh. On Sunday, however, the Cavaliers salvaged a 4-3 victory with the qualities that have typified their remarkable season — strong pitching, solid defense and clutch hitting.
Tom Hagan and Matt Street each had an RBI single off Miami closer George Huguet in the ninth inning as UVa rallied from a 3-2 deficit. Huguet had not allowed an earned run all season. Joe Koshansky (7-1) pitched a complete game for the Cavaliers, allowing eight hits and striking out six.
Virginia is now 35-9, including 7-2 in one-run games, going into Tuesday night’s home game against Radford. It will be UVa’s last game before a 10-day break for final exams.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
Historically, the UVa women had not fared well in the ACC tournament. Since the tourney began in 1997, the Cavaliers had won the title once (1998) and lost to Maryland in each of the other six years.
In that respect, Friday’s semifinal game against the Terrapins served as a major breakthrough. Down 6-2 late in the first half, Virginia scored seven straight goals and held on for a 9-7 triumph. UVa’s defense did not give up a goal for more than 25 minutes.
With the Maryland monkey off their backs, the second-seeded Cavaliers went on to dominate top-seeded Duke, 17-7, in Sunday’s championship game. Amy Appelt, the nation’s leading scorer, finished with five goals and two assists, giving her 99 points on the season.
Having won 11 of its past 12 games, Virginia (15-3) will be a top-four seed in next month’s NCAA tournament.
MEN’S LACROSSE
Shockingly, the Virginia men won’t be around to defend their national championship next month. Needing to win the ACC tournament to stay alive for an NCAA berth, the third-seeded Cavaliers edged second-seeded North Carolina, 11-9, in Friday’s semifinal but dropped a wild 12-11 decision to top-seeded Maryland in Sunday’s title game.
A team must have a .500 record to be eligible for the NCAA tournament, meaning Virginia (5-7 with one game left at Penn State) is out of contention. It is the first time UVa has failed to make the NCAAs in Dom Starsia’s 12 years as head coach.
The Cavaliers stayed alive Friday thanks to attackman Matt Ward and goalie Tillman Johnson, who made the All-ACC team along with defenseman Brett Hughes. Ward scored six goals and Johnson made 19 saves — career highs for both — against the Tar Heels.
Johnson was not as sharp against the Terrapins, who scored seven goals in the first quarter and never trailed. Virginia came close, cutting a 12-7 deficit to 12-11, but the comeback fell just short as Joe Yevoli’s pass from behind the cage went awry in the final seconds.
SOFTBALL
With all the talk about the baseball team’s unprecedented success, the softball team has quietly enjoyed a superb season of its own.
The Cavaliers (39-23, 6-4 ACC) swept doubleheaders against both N.C. State and Maryland over the weekend, extending their winning streak to nine going into Tuesday’s game at Virginia Tech.
Erin Horn picked up the win in both games against the Wolfpack on Saturday. Virginia trailed 4-0 in the first game before rallying for a 5-4 victory, then Heather Field hit her 10th homer of the season as UVa won the nightcap, 6-2, at home.
The Cavaliers trounced Maryland on the road the next day, winning 6-1 and 11-3. Joanna Barstad pitched a one-hitter in the opener, losing a no-hit bid in the seventh inning. Sara Larquier’s second homer of the day highlighted a six-run sixth inning that broke open the second game for Virginia.
NFL DRAFT
Saturday was a long day for Matt Schaub, who hoped to be selected in the first three rounds of the NFL draft. He played 18 holes at the Keswick Golf Club, then sat down to watch on television for several hours before he finally got his wish around 10 p.m.
The Atlanta Falcons picked Schaub late in the third round with the 90th overall selection, making the holder of nearly every UVa passing record an understudy to former Virginia Tech star Michael Vick .
Schaub became the highest Virginia draft pick in four years, since Thomas Jones went to the Arizona Cardinals at No. 7 overall in 2000. No other Cavalier was selected in the seven-round draft, which concluded Sunday.
