Hokies fall to Irish in extras

BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech softball lost another one-run game to Notre Dame Saturday morning 4-3 after nine innings at Tech Softball Park.
 
The No. 15/13 Hokies (28-10, 19-10 ACC) were once again felled by errors as the team committed three on Saturday. Junior pitcher Keely Rochard (20-6) went the distance, throwing all nine innings, and allowed just two earned runs to the Irish (25-12, 16-10), taking a no-hitter into the fifth inning. Despite the loss, Rochard tossed her 11th game of the season with 10 or more strikeouts, striking out 14 Saturday.
 
Offensively, the Hokies got multiple hits from Jayme Bailey and Cameron Fagan, each with two, and Bailey and Kelsey Brown each had an RBI. Tech had two extra-base hits Saturday morning as Bailey and freshman Addy Greene both had doubles.
 
THE GAME
Tech got the game started with a wild play in the bottom of the second inning as Brown dropped down a bunt with Bailey on third. Bailey came home on Brown's bunt single, but after an error by Notre Dame, Brown was able to round the bases and come all the way home and take a 2-0 lead for the Hokies.  
 
The Irish chipped away at the lead as they got an unearned run in the fifth inning and tied the game in the sixth with another one unearned. Bailey took back the lead for the Hokies with a single up the middle that Maddy Federico came home on and led 3-2 after six.
 
The Irish tied the game in the seventh and took the lead in the ninth with solo home runs.
 
NOTES

• Rochard turned away 27 of the 35 batters she faced, allowing just two earned runs on five hits with 14 strikeouts.

• After a four-hit performance Friday, Fagan had two more Saturday and has gone 6 for 13 at the plate this weekend.

• Bailey had an RBI Saturday pushing her team-leading total to 37. She knocks in a run nearly every time she gets a hit as Bailey has 40 hits with 37 RBIs this season.

 
UP NEXT
The Hokies and Irish will finish off their four-game series Sunday with the finale scheduled for noon at Tech Softball Park. The game can be streamed on ACC Network Extra.Gallery: (4-24-2021) 2021 SOFTBALL vs. NOTRE DAME SATURDAY