AUSTIN - A complete game, eight-inning shutout from sophomore Carrie Eberle against No. 20 Michigan highlighted Virginia Tech’s split on Saturday at the Texas Invitational where the Hokies topped the Wolverines, 1-0, and fell to host Texas, 3-2.
The Hokies (7-4) move to 1-2 on the weekend in Austin. Tech’s win over Michigan was its first win over a ranked team since defeating No. 6 James Madison, 2-1, in Blacksburg on April 6, 2016 and its first victory over a ranked team at a neutral site since a 5-4 win over No. 10 Florida State in Fort Myers, Fla. on March 11, 2014.
Eberle has now thrown 22 consecutive scoreless innings in three straight shutouts against Penn State, Purdue and Michigan. Freshman Sammi Miller went 2 for 5 over the two games while junior Emma Strouth picked up a two RBI single against Texas and junior Olivia Lattin tallied two hits against the Longhorns, her 30th career multi-hit game. Freshman Darby Trull registered her first career game-winning RBI on a suicide squeeze that defeated the Wolverines.
VIRGINIA TECH 1, NO. 20 MICHIGAN 0
With the game knotted up in a scoreless tie and the international tiebreaker in effect, Michigan started the first extra frame with a runner on second base. After a sac bunt moved the runner to third, the next batter grounded out to Caitlyn Nolan at short for the second out and Jessie Mehr recorded the final out on a grounder to herself.
In the home half of the eighth, junior Kinsey Johnson came in as a pinch runner at second base. A sac bunt from sophomore Taylor Clark moved Johnson to third and gave Michigan one out. Trull then stepped to the plate and dropped a bunt with Johnson going from third. The ball was fielded and tossed home but the throw was not in time, successfully executing the suicide squeeze.
The 1-0 win gave the Hokies their first win over a ranked team on a neutral field since defeating No. 10 Florida State, 5-4, in Fort Meyers, Fla., on March 11, 2014.
Eberle retired the side in order four times and at one point retired 10 consecutive batters between the second and fifth innings. After striking out the side in the top of the fourth, Eberle faced a runner on third with two outs and got a strikeout swinging. Michigan later had runners on first and second with one out in the top of the seventh but Eberle induced a lineout to Mehr at first base and fielded a groundout herself that kept the game scoreless.
TEXAS 3, VIRGINIA TECH 2
The Hokies got on the board right away in the top of the first. With senior Caroline Schoenewald on first and one out, Lattin ripped a double to the left field wall, her third of the season. That gave Strouth two runners in scoring position and she delivered with an opposite field single to right that scored two runs and have the Hokies a 2-0 lead.
Tech was holding on to a 2-0 lead entering the bottom of the third but the Longhorns were able to load the bases with one out on three straight base hits. Starter Keely Rochard was lifted and was replaced by freshman Jordan Dail who induced a pop up and a ground out to get out of the jam.
After the Longhorns put up two runs on a bases loaded hit by pitch and a sacrifice fly that tied the game at 2-2, they broke through in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI single. The Hokies weren’t able to force extras as they went down in order in the top of the seventh.
The Hokies will wrap up play at the Texas Invitational tomorrow at 12 p.m. EST against Wichita State.