BLACKSBURG – Without playing a game at Tech Softball Park since April 30, 2019, Virginia Tech softball returned home and won two run-rule games vs. Radford, 11-1 and 9-1 with both games ending after five innings.
The No. 18/16 Hokies (11-3, 7-3 ACC) once again had their offense firing on all cylinders, hitting eight home runs between the two games. Sophomore Kelsey Bennett, fresh off her record-setting, three-homer performance Sunday, hit a home run in both games Wednesday and Kayleigh Addington hit her first career home run in Game 1.
Tech also got great pitching outings from freshmen Ivy Rosenberry (3-2) and Mackenzie Osborne (1-0), who both threw complete games and allowed just one earned run. It was the first start of Osborne's career after appearing in three games in relief this season.
GAME 1
Tech struck early with a two-run triple from Jayme Bailey, scoring Kelsey Brown and Darby Trull. Next batter, Bennett put the ball in play allowing Bailey to score from third and give the Hokies a 3-0 lead after one.
The Hokies put up three more runs in the second off Brown and Trull RBI doubles. Then in the third inning, Cana Davis and Alexa Milius hit back-to-back home runs to put Tech up 8-0 after three innings. The long ball was working for the Hokies again in the fourth inning as Bennett and Addington went yard to go up 11-0.
Meanwhile, Rosenberry kept the Highlanders off the board for four innings before they broke through with a run in the fifth inning. The freshman closed out her third win of the season allowing just five hits and the one run.
GAME 2
Again, the Hokies got on the board in the first inning off a Bailey RBI single and a Bennett RBI double to take a 3-0 lead. The Highlanders got a run back in the top of the second with a solo home run, the only run they'd get off Osborne in the game.
Tech answered in the bottom half of the second on an RBI single from Trull to right field, scoring the pinch runner Rebecca Ludowig, before breaking the game open in the third on back-to-back-to-back home runs by Bailey, Bennett and Morgan Overaitis.
Grace Chavez walked the game off in the bottom of the fifth inning, hitting a bomb to left field and giving the Hokies the 9-1 win.
NOTES
- Bennett hit her sixth and seventh home run of the season Wednesday, tying her total from last season in 25 games.
- Bailey and Bennett both had a team-high five RBIs between the two games. The duo are leading the team in RBIs with 20 and 17, respectively, and are the only Hokies with double-digit RBIs.
- The Hokies hit four home runs in both games Wednesday and have hit 16 homers in their last three games.
- Addington got her first career hit with a solo home run to left field.
UP NEXT
The Hokies stay home this weekend for a four-game ACC series vs. Pitt starting Friday at 6 p.m. Tech has won five straight ACC series.Gallery: (3-17-2021) 2021 SOFTBALL HOME OPENERS