GULF SHORES, Ala. - Despite two strong efforts, one against a top 15 opponent and the other in nine-inning marathon, Virginia Tech came out on the short end in its season opening twin bill against No. 14 Ole Miss, 5-1, and Lamar, 10-9 in extras, on Thursday at the Sand Dollar Classic.
Senior Caroline Schoenewald went 5 for 5 with two home runs, four runs scored and five RBI, all career highs, against Lamar. Schoenewald joins teammate Breanna Davenport, Kelly Brown and Shanel Garofalo as the only Hokies to ever record five hits in game. She's also the eighth Hokie and the first since Kat Banks vs. Morgan State in 2014 to cross the plate four times.
Freshman Jordan Dail struck out 12 batters in six innings, both relief appearances, in her first day in a Virginia Tech uniform.
LAMAR 10, VIRGINIA TECH 9 (9)
With the Hokies trailing 6-3 entering the top of the sixth, RBI singles from freshman Darby Trull, Schoenewald and junior Olivia Lattin tied the score at 6-6. Sophomore Carrie Eberle kept the Lamar bats at bay in the sixth and seventh where she picked up four strikeouts and was able to keep the Cardinals off the scoreboard.
With the international tiebreak rule in effect entering the top of the eighth, freshman Cana Davis laid down a bunt single that moved Trull from second to third. That brought Schoenewald to the plate, who then launched her fifth hit of the game over the left center field fence for a three-run home run, giving the Hokies a 9-6 lead.
The Cardinals continued to fight though as they went on to plate three runs in the bottom of the eighth and the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth to take the walk-off win.
NO. 14 OLE MISS 5, VIRGINIA TECH 1
The Hokies were able to load the bases with two outs in the top of the first against the Rebels. Lattin reached on an error, Emma Strouth singled through the right side and Eberle reached on a wild pitch after a strikeout but Tech wasn't able to push a run across.
Tech's lone run of the day came on an RBI groundout from Taylor Clark in the fourth. Eberle led off the inning with a single down the left line and Kinsey Johnson came in for her as a pinch runner. Johnson went first to third after a base hit up the middle from Mehr and later scored on Clark's groundout that made it 5-1 in favor of Ole Miss.
Dail struck out the second and third batter she faced on the day in the home half of the fourth and junior Sierra Walton's first runner caught stealing as Hokie ended the frame. Dail's seven strikeout, no-hit relief effort wouldn't be enough though as the Rebels got by with a 5-1 win.
The Hokies will be back in action tomorrow with two games; an 11 a.m. tilt with Florida A&M followed by a 2 p.m. clash with Penn State.