BLACKSBURG – With a 9-0 win in five innings Friday night, Virginia Tech softball opens the series vs. Pitt with a run rule victory at Tech Softball Park.
The No. 18/16 Hokies (13-3, 8-3 ACC) have now won by run rule in their fifth straight game and have outscored opponents 58-8 in that span. Tech's shutout of the Panthers (8-12, 3-7 ACC) was the third ACC shutout of the year for the Hokies.
Junior pitcher Keely Rochard (8-1) was dominant, throwing 4.0 innings and allowing just one hit while striking out eight. The Williamsburg, Virginia native passed Kenzie Roark for sixth on the Virginia Tech All-Time Strikeout list with 516 career Ks.
It was another prolific offensive showing for the Hokies' offense, scoring nine runs on 10 hits, led by multi-hit nights from Kelsey Brown and Cameron Fagan. Friday's game was the fifth straight that Tech has scored at least nine runs.
THE GAME
The Hokies got their first run of the game in the first inning off of a sacrifice fly from Jayme Bailey that scored Brown. The Hokies would add another run when Maija Louko stole second and Fagan scored on the throw to go up 2-0.
Still in the first inning, Cana Davis hit a two-run single to left field with the bases loaded. Next batter, Alexa Milius cleared the bases with a two-run double to left center and the Hokies ended the first inning up 6-0.
The teams would go scoreless for the next two innings before Tech scored again off a Grace Chavez groundout that allowed Brown to score from third. Later in the fourth, with the bases loaded, Darby Trull singled up the middle bringing in Fagan. Next batter, Emma Ritter hit an infield single to bring Bennett home and take the 9-0 lead.
Meanwhile, Rochard was feeling it in the circle, retiring 12 of the 13 batters she faced, with her only hit being a bunt single. Mackenzie Osborne came in to start the fifth and retired the side in order to end the game.
NOTES
- Tech won their fifth straight run-rule game with the 9-0 victory.
- The Hokies scored nine runs Friday night, extending their streak of scoring at least nine runs to five games.
- Cana Davis and Alexa Milius both had two RBIs vs. the Panthers, the only Hokies knocking in multiple runs Friday.
- The Hokies stole six bases Friday, marking the first time they've stole five or more bases since Feb. 7, 2020 vs. Coastal Carolina.
UP NEXT
The Hokies and Panthers will resume their four-game series Saturday with a doubleheader at Tech Softball Park starting at 1 p.m. Both games can be streamed live on ACC Network Extra.
Gallery: (3-19-2021) 2021 SOFTBALL vs. PITT FRIDAY