Hokie ClubCONWAY, S.C. – After a promising start to the day with a big win over the Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina, the Virginia Tech softball team suffered a heartbreaking defeat to conclude Friday’s action on the first day of the Kickin’ Chicken Classic. Tech opened with a 7-1 win over CCU before falling to Maine 4-1 in nine innings.
The first contest of the day was a historic one as it marked the 800th game in the program’s history. The Hokies celebrated in a big way, pounding out 11 hits en route to a 7-1 win over the host Chants.
Leading 1-0 in the second inning, Beth Walker drove in Kristen Froehlich with a single and Walker eventually scored on a single by Jenna Rhodes. In the third inning, Jessica Everhart connected for her second home run of the season, a two-run blast to left-center field to give Tech a 5-0 lead. Tech tacked on a run in the fifth inning when Everhart singled down the line to plate Erin Ota.
Walker crushed a pitch to deep center field for her first home run of the season – a solo blast – in the top of the seventh inning to make it 7-0.
At the plate, Rhodes picked up three more hits and two stolen bases to lead the way. Everhart had two hits and three RBI while Ota and Walker also had two hits apiece. Whitney Davis and Froehlich each had a hit.
In the circle, Abbie Rexrode (W, 2-2) went six-plus innings, allowing a run on four hits with a walk and four strikeouts. Kenzie Roark entered the game with a pair of runners on base in the seventh inning and got the final three outs in a non-save opportunity, striking out two.
The second tilt of the day ended in disappointment after seeing Tech play well for seven innings.
The Hokies squandered two great chances in the game. Rhodes tripled to the gap in the third inning, but in trying to stretch it to an inside-the-park home run, a perfect relay and a controversial call by the umpire nailed her at the plate for the final out of the inning. Rhodes appeared to slide around the tag for the first run, but was punched out by the man in blue.
In the sixth inning, pinch hitter Kristin Graham picked up her first collegiate hit and moved to third base on two sacrifice bunts, but Tech couldn’t drive her in for the run.
In the eighth inning, Froehlich started the inning on second base due to the Tiebreaker Rule and was moved to third base by a perfect sacrifice bunt by freshman Kelsey Hensel. Marra Hvozdovic then drove her in with a sacrifice fly to left and Froehlich slid under the tag for the score. Maine quickly tied it up without even swinging the bat as pinch runner Melinda Corssino scored from second on a passed ball and a throwing error on the same play.
After Tech failed to score in its half of the ninth, Maine put the pressure on the Hokies. Another passed ball allowed the runner to third base and Maine loaded the bases with an intentional walk. Mariconda nearly turned a spectacular triple play to end the inning, catching a rocket at her face in self defense and getting the lead runner, but Maine’s next batter – Alexis Souhlaris – crushed a ball over the left field fence to end the game and send the Black Bears into a hullabaloo at home plate with a 4-1 win.
At the plate, Rhodes had two more hits and a stolen base. For the day, she had five hits and three stolen bases. Also picking up hits in the second game were Everhart, Davis and Graham. In the circle, Roark pitched a whale of ballgame but ended up with the loss. She went 8.2 innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on just two hits with five strikeouts and two walks.
Tech (3-8) will be back in action on Saturday morning, playing Western Carolina (1-5) at 9 o’clock, followed by a contest with Appalachian State (1-3) right after at 11:30 a.m.