BLACKSBURG – Hitting the road for the fourth straight weekend, the [--/RV] Virginia Tech softball team will head to Athens, Georgia, taking on No. 8/8 Georgia and UAB at the Bulldog Classic Friday through Sunday.
The Hokies (13-2) will be facing their first ranked opponent of the season, playing the Bulldogs (15-1) at Turner Softball Stadium. Tech has faced two teams that were receiving votes in either the NFCA or USA Softball's Top 25 this season and went 2-1 in those games.
Tech will play both the Bulldogs and Blazers (8-8) twice in a four-game tournament. Both games against UGA will broadcast on SEC Network +.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Fri. | 6 p.m. ET at Georgia | Stats | Watch
Sat. | 1 p.m. vs. UAB | Stats
Sat. | 3:30 p.m. at Georgia | Stats | Watch
Sun. | 10:30 a.m. vs. UAB | Stats
In its first midweek tilt of the season, the Hokies jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning and would go on to win 10-0 over Radford (5-6) behind two home runs by shortstop Caitlyn Nolan and a combined shutout from pitchers Keely Rochard, Carrie Eberle and Keara Napoli.
Third baseman Kelsey Bennett also hit one out of the park, hitting it to right field for her fourth home run of the season. Outfielder Al Velazquez turned in two RBIs against the Highlanders, marking her second time this season of owning two or more RBIs (Feb. 9 vs. College of Charleston).
Nolan's two home runs bring Tech's total to 21 homers this season, the second most in the ACC. Tech ranks 12th nationally in home runs per game with a 1.94 clip.
D'Amour has taken on both Georgia and UAB, when he was at Kennesaw State. He holds an 0-1 record versus the Bulldogs and a 3-0 record against the Blazers.
SCOUTING No. 8 GEORGIA
Record: 15-1 (0-0 SEC)
Head coach: Lu Harris-Champer (875-322, 20th season)
All-time series: Bulldogs lead 4-1
The Bulldogs are coming off a 7-1 victory over Presbyterian (4-8-2) in its first midweek game of the season. Since their only loss of the season on Feb. 10, Georgia has ripped off 11 straight wins and six of those have been run-rule victories.
SCOUTING UAB
Record: 8-8 (0-0 C-USA)
Head coach: Jimmy Kolaitis (8-8, 1st season)
All-time series: Blazers lead 2-1
Playing host to No. 6/5 Alabama (16-0) on Wednesday, UAB fell to the Crimson Tide 8-0 in six innings. Last weekend, the Blazers went 3-2 at the Citrus Classic in Orlando, Florida.
