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6 CAVALIER CORNER cavalier sports getting to know Fourth-Year Softball Outfielder Tori Gilbert Gilbert hit .303 with seven home runs, 19 RBI and six steals to help the Cavaliers get off to an 18-11 start. (Photo Jim Daves/ courtesy UVA) F ourth-year Tori Gilbert has always been a player that has provided a bat with pop to the lineup of the Virginia softball team. Throughout her first three seasons, the Mechanicsville, Va., native hit 12 home runs and delivered 38 RBI. This season, she has added to that power production by hitting for average. That steady climb in production at the plate from season to season has come from an ever-developing maturity and willingness to learn according to head coach Joanna Hardin. "Tori has matured so much over her career," Hardin said. "The best hitters I've coached are those that have maintained a growth mindset and continued to learn. It is so rewarding to watch her success, because I know and see first-hand how hard she has worked. "[Assistant coach] Jake [Sidwell] says it all the time: 'Hitting is hard.' We play a game where failure is not only inevitable, but it's lopsided. Hitters fail a lot, so managing through failure and frustration with a consistent, positive mentality is key for long-term success. Tori's growth and maturity is due to her commitment and resilience." Gilbert showed that she was going to con- tinue to bring that power to the plate early in the season, hitting a home run in two of the first three games. After delivering consistently through the weeks, Gilbert was challenged the weekend of a tournament at UNC Greensboro in late February, and it was something she wanted to correct before a tournament at No. 18 Tennessee in early March. A self-described dedicated worker who loves nothing more than hitting, Gilbert would spend hours in the cages working on her swing to bring consistency to the plate — something she felt she hadn't done in earlier seasons. A conversation on the bus ride to Tennes- see with hitting coach Jake Sidwell brought things back into perspective for the fourth- year. She didn't start the first game against South Alabama and changed up her routine in case she was called on in that game. "I tried to hit it out after that difficult weekend, and Coach Sidwell told me I didn't have to hit five hours a day," Gilbert said. "He told me I needed to just chill out, relax a little bit and trust my instincts and my swing a little bit more." Gilbert spent the South Alabama game in the bullpen stretching and never took a swing in an effort to change up her routine. Her number was called in a tie game in the seventh inning and she delivered UVA's first walk-off home run since the 2019 season. She moved back into the starting lineup and continued to swing with consistency and power, getting a chance again when she came to the plate against No. 24 Notre Dame with two outs and the Cavaliers down five in the seventh inning. She delivered a two-RBI double to spark a five-run rally. UVA again walked off with the win and took the series against the Irish. It was UVA's first series win over a nation- ally ranked team since the 2010 season. "I don't feel stress in those moments. I feel excited," said Gilbert, who was hitting .303 with seven home runs, 19 RBI and six steals through 29 games. "I just want to get the ball out of the infield and keep our at bat alive. "Sometimes it might result in a home run like South Alabama, but sometimes it's a double. I'm equally happy either way." — Bill Bunting