JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After a 1-1 start to the Spring Break Challenge Friday, Virginia Tech softball blanked Purdue 2-0 and Jacksonville 6-0 on Day 2 Saturday to improve to 3-1 on the weekend.
The Hokies (15-4) saw two impeccable starts from Keely Rochard (10-3), who threw back-to-back, complete-game shutouts capped by her fourth-career no-hitter. Rochard has yet to give up a run through four appearances in Jacksonville.
"It was just a good day, my defense was really good behind me," Rochard said. "I felt really good."
"We had contributions from the whole team this afternoon," Virginia Tech softball head coach Pete D'Amour said. "The lineup gave us productive at-bats both games and our bench was ready when called on. We swung the bats exceptionally well today, had the wind not been blowing in 30 miles-per-hour, we could have hit seven or eight home runs. Keely keeps improving, 21 straight scoreless innings is pretty impressive."
Tech also got a great offensive performance from Meredith Slaw, who went 4 for 7 with three RBIs Saturday. She had the game-winning RBI in the 2-0 win over the Boilermakers (12-6) with a single up the middle.
Kelsey Bennett had four hits Saturday, including a triple and a double, knocked in a run and scored one. Building off her two RBIs yesterday, Olivia Lattin batted in another run Saturday and also scored two runs.
Maddi Banks, Darby Trull, Jayme Bailey and Kelsey Brown each had two hits on Saturday.
"The bounce back from a disappointing game last night was a welcomed sight," D'Amour said.
"We need to finish strong tomorrow."
GAME 1
The Hokies' rematch with Purdue was a pitchers' duel for five innings. Tech broke through in the sixth inning when Slaw hit a two-out single up the middle, scoring Bailey from second. Adding to their lead in the seventh, Hokies got an RBI single from Trull that scored Lattin.
After Tech took the lead in the sixth, Rochard closed out the game retiring six of the last seven Boilermaker batters.
GAME 2
Tech was quicker to score in Saturday's Game 2, jumping on the Dolphins (12-7) in the second inning for a 1-0 lead off Lattin's RBI single. Bennett had an RBI double in the third, followed by an RBI single from Slaw to give the Hokies a 3-0 lead after three.
In the fourth inning, Tech got two more runs off a fielder's choice and a passed ball. Slaw capped the scoring for the Hokies with a double to center field, which scored Bailey.
Rochard was dominant all the way through, allowing a walk in the second inning and then retiring 18 straight batters. She finished her fourth no-hitter with 13 strikeouts.
NOTES
- Against Purdue, Rochard moved up to ninth among career strikeout leaders at Virginia Tech with her 375th career strikeout. She now has 393 strikeouts in 318 innings pitched.
- Slaw had three RBIs in Saturday's wins, which upped her season total to 12. She has 11 RBIs in her last 15 at-bats.
- Bennett was the only Hokie to have multiple extra-base hits Saturday with a double and triple. She now has nine extra-base hits on the season.
UP NEXT
Tech will play its last game of the JU/UNF Spring Break Challenge Sunday morning against Stony Brook (7-1) at 10 a.m. at Jacksonville.