ATHENS, Ga. – From an hour ½ weather delay, to the lights at Jack Turner Field going off, the [RV] Virginia Tech softball team dug deep and found a way to take down No. 8 Georgia, 7-6, in extra innings (8) on Friday at the Bulldog Classic.
The win marked the first time the Hokies (14-2) have won on the road against a ranked opponent since May 19, 2013, when Tech beat No. 17 Kentucky.
Outfielder Darby Trull, who finished with a game-high four hits off the Bulldogs' (15-2) pitchers, singled up the middle in the eighth inning for the game-winning RBI. In the circle, pitcher Carrie Eberle (7-1) earned the victory, pitching seven innings with six strikeouts, while Keely Rochard came in and got the save, ending the game on a strikeout looking.
QUOTING PITCHER CARRIE EBERLE
On what she thought of her performance, especially the first five innings of shutout ball:
"I think it was really good to know that I can play against that type of competition," Eberle said. "I definitely felt confident and felt good with what I was throwing today. It got a little bit away from me in the end, but my teammates picked me up."
On if her two strikeouts in the first inning set the tone:
"Yeah, with a team like that, you really have to come out strong on top," Eberle said. "It's always going to be hard to come back if you don't. So, once we got the first inning rolling, we knew we were going to be in good shape. It worked out well."
On how it feels to beat a nationally ranked opponent:
"I think it's most important for us as a team to know that we belong with someone like that, and we're good enough to compete with them any day," Eberle explained. "I definitely think it's a confidence boost and will do a lot for us moving forward."
(3/1/2019) 2019 SOFTBALL at GEORGIA
HOW IT HAPPENED
In the top of the second, outfielder Emma Strouth walked and Bennett went oppo once again, hitting her second home run to right this week, giving Tech a 2-0 lead early.
Outfielder Al Velazquez put some nasty spin on a ball in the fifth, hitting it to shortstop and legged out an infield single. Fellow outfielder, Trull, followed with a double to left center, driving in Velazquez to make it 3-0.
The following inning, the Hokies put together their most runs in an inning against the Bulldogs, plating three. Bennett walked on four straight pitches and got to second on a ground out. Pinch hitter Cana Davis delivered a double down the left-field line, driving in Bennett. Velazquez followed with a triple, her first of the season, scoring Lawter, who pinch ran for Davis. In an 0-2 count, Trull singled to second base, utilizing her speed, to wrap up the three-run inning by scoring Velazquez.
However, the Bulldogs answered in the bottom half of the sixth, plating four runs started by a home run, which was Tech's first homer given up this season, to cut the deficit to 6-4.
In the bottom of the seventh, Eberle came back to the circle to close it out. After giving up a single to right field, the junior tallied back-to-back strikeouts to get to two outs, one on. But the 'Dawgs got consecutive hits, scoring one, to cut it to one-run game with runners on first and second.
A Bulldog hit a double off the wall to right field, scoring one, but Velazquez picked up the ball, fired it to the cutoff, who was second baseman Maddi Banks, and Banks rifled a 110-foot throw to home plate, gunning the runner down with Lawter making the tag to get the third out and force extras.
Banks, taking the momentum from her big-time throw, led off the eighth with a single to center. Then Velazquez put down a sacrifice bunt, moving Banks to second. With a 2-1 count, Trull singled up the middle, knocking in Banks for the game-winning run.
Rochard entered the circle to begin the eighth, getting a flyout to kick it off. Then a double put the pressure on, with the game-winning run stepping into the batter's box. Rochard got another pop up, but then hit the next batter to make it two on, two outs. But the sophomore got a strikeout on the outside corner to get her second save of the season and Tech's first ranked win of 2019.
STAT OF THE GAME
- Tech had three players with two or more hits, including Trull with four and Velazquez and Banks with two apiece. It marked Trull's second time this season owning four hits in a game (ETSU, Feb. 17).
NOTES
- The win marked Tech's first victory over a top-10 team since April 6, 2016, when it took down No. 6 JMU, 2-1.
- Eberle posted her second-most strikeouts of the season with six, marking her fourth game this year of five or more.
- Bennett's home run puts her with the most on the team, owning five thus far. Three of her home runs have come in the third inning, but it marked her first time hitting one in the second.
- Coach Pete D'Amour moves to 7-5 in extra-inning games, while tonight was his first win over a ranked opponent. It was Tech's first extra-inning game of the season.
UP NEXT
- The Hokies will play on Saturday versus UAB (8-8) at 1 p.m. ET and Georgia again at 3:30 p.m.