BLACKSBURG – Outfielder Emma Ritter and designated player Cana Davis each had two RBIs Friday night, but it was not enough in No. 15/14 Virginia Tech softball's 6-4 setback to Georgia Tech at Tech Softball Park to begin the four-game series.
The Yellow Jackets (13-20, 7-16 ACC) struck first in the second frame, but Davis hit a two-run bomb in the third to take the lead. However, Georgia Tech would score five runs in the fourth and fifth to make it 6-2 and the Hokies (25-7, 16-7) couldn't string enough hits in a row, besides Ritter's two-run double in the sixth, to complete the comeback.
Pitcher Keely Rochard (19-4, 1.15 ERA) didn't have her A-game in the circle, tying her season high for runs allowed with six, though three were earned, but did move into No. 4 all-time in school history for career strikeouts (653) with 12 Ks on the day.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Rochard was on fire early, fanning the first three batters she saw to start the top of the first. Virginia Tech would get two on in the bottom half, with catcher Mackenzie Lawter getting hit by a pitch and Davis hitting a single down the left-field line. But the Hokies did not cash in afterword, leaving it 0-0 after one.
In the top half, five-hitter Emma Kauf sent a high fly ball to right, with the 15-mile-hour winds taking it well over the fence, to take the lead for Georgia Tech. Davis would respond, though, following left fielder Kelsey Brown reaching on a fielding error to third, with an absolute no-doubter to left, that actually ended up hitting a car driving on Beamer Way (they did not crash, were OK).
But the Jackets hit got the equalizer and another in the fourth, with getting RBI singles to the outfield to make it 3-2. They answered again with three runs in the fifth, getting a sac fly and a opposite field home run from Kauf, her second homer of the day, for two more to make it 6-2.
Virginia Tech got its bats going in the sixth and seventh to make it interesting, starting with a single through the left side by shortstop Kelsey Bennett to start it. Third baseman Morgan Overaitis hit her fourth double of the season, roping one to right center that tipped the right fielder's glove in a diving effort, to get two ducks on the pond (3rd, 2nd) for Ritter. The freshman, on the eighth pitch she saw, hit a liner that went over the center fielder's head and hit off the wall, scoring pinch runner Rebecca Ludwig and Overaitis to cut the deficit to two, 6-4.
After Rochard didn't let Georgia Tech get any security runs in the top of the seventh, Virginia Tech went to work in the bottom half, starting with pinch hitter Alexa Milius getting a single to left center on a full count. Lawter was then hit by a pitch for the second time on the day and was pinch ran for by Maddy Federico. Then Davis got hit by a pitch, too, to load up the bases and make the comeback promising with just one out. But, the next two batters would go down to make it a 6-4 loss to snap Virginia Tech's two-game winning streak.
NOTES
- Rochard made the 10-K plateau again, marking her ninth game this season hitting double-digit strikeouts.
- With Davis and Ritter each getting two RBIs, that marked Davis' fourth time this season with a multi-RBI performance and Ritter's third. Davis also had two hits, the lone Hokie on the day to do so, marking her fourth multi-hit game this year.
- Lawter, who went 0 for 2 but reached base twice due to two hit-by-pitches, improved her team-leading on-base percentage to .509.
- Tech went 5 for 12 tonight with two outs and is now batting .289 on the year with two outs, with Ritter's two-run double being with two down.
UP NEXT
- The Hokies will continue the four-game series with Georgia Tech on Saturday, starting the doubleheader at 1 p.m. ET on ACC Network Extra at Tech Softball Park.Gallery: (4-16-2021) 2021 SOFTBALL vs. GEORGIA TECH FRIDAY
