Hokie ClubATLANTA - Four home runs and a strong start by freshman Keely Rochard in the circle helped Virginia Tech tie up the series with Georgia Tech as the Hokies topped the Yellow Jackets, 5-1, on Saturday afternoon.
Sophomores Carrie Eberle and Taylor Clark, junior Olivia Lattin and senior Jessie Mehr all went yard for the Hokies (21-28, 7-15 ACC). Rochard, who earned her fifth win of the season, struck out six, allowed only three hits and carried a shutout into the bottom of the seventh.
The Hokies' four long balls on Saturday set a new season high and are the most since also hitting four home runs in the second game of a doubleheader at No. 11 James Madison on March 29 of last season. Two of the four jacks on Saturday were hit consecutively off the bats of Mehr and Clark. The last time Tech hit back-to-back home runs also happened in that second JMU game.
Virginia Tech jumped on the board in the top of the first for the second consecutive game on Eberle's two-run home run to left that scored junior Emma Strouth. After retiring the side in order in the first, Rochard went on to sit down the next six batters she faced.
The Hokies gave Rochard more run support in the top of the fourth on three solo home runs. Lattin's was the first as she pulled the first pitch of the at-bat over the left field wall. With two down, Mehr and Clark went back-to-back that extended the Hokies' lead to 5-0.
With one out in the bottom of the fourth, Georgia Tech got its first hit of the game on a one out double. Following the hit, Rochard retired the next two batters in order on back-to-back pop ups. The Jackets were able to get a run back in the bottom of the seventh on a solo home run but Rochard was able to get the next three batters to pop up to clinch the victory.
The rubber match of the three-game series between the Hokies and Georgia Tech will take place tomorrow at 1 p.m.