BLACKSBURG – On a foggy day at Tech Softball Park, the Pete D'Amour era notched another milestone, as the [RV] Virginia Tech softball team defeated Georgia Tech 5-1 on Saturday to pick up his first ACC win.
Sophomore Darby Trull came up big at the plate, hitting a three-run home run, while junior Carrie Eberle (9-1) struck out 10 Yellow Jackets (14-9, 0-1 ACC) on her way to her fifth seven-inning complete game of the season.
With the win, the Hokies (17-3, 1-0) improved to 16-8 in home openers and 8-7 in ACC openers.
QUOTING OUTFIELDER DARBY TRULL
On if she knew it was a home run off the bat:
"Not really because I didn't think it was going out," Trull grinned. "But it just felt good, that's how usually a home run feels for me. I'm not really big, so I don't really think it's going over."
On from not hitting any homers last year to having a few this year:
"It's pretty crazy because I've never hit that many over in my whole life," Trull said. "Not together at times, usually it's like once a season. So, it's been pretty cool. Our coaches have been helping me with hitting and I feel really confident with having smarter at-bats.
"I'm seeing it better and the drills that they have us do throughout the week will make you smarter for your at-bats and you're more prepared. I feel really good coming into each game."
On playing at home for the first time this season and getting a win:
"It feels really good," Trull said. "It was fun being at home and seeing people come out. It's really exciting."
(3/9/2019) 2019 SOFTBALL ACC HOME OPENER
HOW IT HAPPENED
The game started with Eberle finding her groove early, striking out two batters to begin the top of the first. In bottom half, three-hitter Cana Davis hit a high fly ball deep to center field, but it was caught just in front of the wall.
Eberle kept it going in the second, getting another two strikeouts, both swinging, to give Virginia Tech some momentum on offense. Third baseman Kelsey Bennett started it off with a double down the left-field line, tipping the end of the third baseman's glove.
Pinch runner Kinsey Johnson would come in and score on a passed ball. Outfielder Emma Strouth would reach on an error and would eventually score thanks to a sacrifice bunt by first baseman Jayme Bailey.
The following inning was when Trull hit her third homer of the season, driving it to straight-away center field with Maddi Banks and Al Velazquez on base following their two singles.
With a 5-0 lead, Eberle flirted with some tough situations, allowing a runner on third base in the fourth and fifth innings, but came away unscathed. In the sixth, she had two on, two outs, and fired a strikeout to keep the shut out intact.
In the top of the seventh, knocking on the door once again, the Yellow Jackets did come through and get a run to cross the pate, scoring on a fielder's choice. With the bases loaded and the tying run at the plate, Eberle closed with door with a groundout to second.
NOTES
- Eberle's 10 Ks mark a career high, topping her previous high of eight, which she did twice in 2018. Another career high the North Carolina native set was number of pitches thrown, beating it by one with 121 on the day. Eberle posted her third game this season of having no walks (minimum 4.0 innings).
- Trull's home run, a three-run shot, was the Hokies' fourth three-run homer of the season and the first in a while of that nature (Feb. 17). Of Virginia Tech's 28 home runs this year, 13 have been solo, 11 two-run and we are still waiting on that grand slam.
- Velazquez extended her hitting streak to seven games, as well as her reached base streak to seven, with both streaks being the longest on the team currently.
- The Hokies were outhit for the fourth time this season, but picked up their second win in the process with now an even 2-2 mark.
TWEET OF THE GAME
Can't think of a better way to spend the afternoon than watching @HokiesSoftball open the ACC season at home, defending the "T"! https://t.co/ycBNIspdE2
— Timothy D Sands (@VTSandsman) March 9, 2019
UP NEXT
- Virginia Tech will be playing two games on Sunday, starting at noon ET with the Yellow Jackets again to finish off the three-game series. Both games will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra and the WatchESPN app, while Bailey Angle (play-by-play) and Shelby Miller (color) will be on the call for the doubleheader.