CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Behind the arm of pitcher Keely Rochard, the No. 21/19 Virginia Tech softball team overpowered Virginia 4-0 on Friday in the first contest of a three-game series at Palmer Park.
The Hokies' (17-4, 1-0 ACC) Rochard (12-3) tossed a complete-game, one-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts over the Cavaliers (8-10, 0-4), marking the ninth time this season in 13 starts Rochard has thrown 10 or more strikeouts.
Jayme Bailey shined offensively, driving in two of the four runs on two solo shots in the game.
"For me, I was sticking to half of the plate and sticking to my plan," Bailey said. "Their pitcher got me on the changeup during my second at-bat, so I figured I would get the same thing. I was looking for that in my third at-bat."
Grace Chavez also went yard in the fifth inning to give the Hokies a 3-0 lead before Bailey followed with her second homer of the game.
Tech collected 11 hits in game one. Kelsey Brown, Mackenzie Lawter, Bailey, and Chavez all collected two hits, while Darby Trull, Meredith Slaw and Olivia Lattin also had hits.
NOTES
- Rochard, who faced 22 batters, did not allow a walk on 75 pitches in 7.0 innings.
- Bailey's home runs today were her first since February 22 versus Bradley and this was the fourth time this season with a two-run game.
- Mackenzie Lawter moved her hit total up to 16 with her two hits in the win versus Virginia.
UP NEXT
The Hokies will take on the Cavaliers in game two of the Commonwealth Clash on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. ET followed by game three on Sunday at 1 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.
COMMONWEALTH CLASH
The Commonwealth Clash presented by Virginia529 stands in the favor of Virginia 6.5-5.5. Virginia529 is the official college savings plan of Virginia Tech Athletics and the University of Virginia Athletics. To learn more about Virginia529 and the competition, visit www.thecommonwealthclash.com.
Gallery: (3/6/2020) 2020 SOFTBALL AT UVA GAME 1
