Hokies fall in series finale

BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech softball lost the final game of the weekend series with Notre Dame Sunday afternoon 3-1 at Tech Softball Park.
 
The No. 15/13 Hokies (28-11, 19-11 ACC) lost another close game to the Irish as they trailed the Irish (26-12, 17-10 ACC) by just five runs on the whole weekend. Freshman pitcher Mackenzie Osborne (2-1) got the loss for Tech despite throwing 6.0 innings and allowing just the three earned runs.
 
At the plate, the Hokies were led by sophomore outfielder Kelsey Brown, who went 3 for 3 in the box and scored the lone run for Tech. The Haymarket, Virginia native also stole two bases in Sunday's finale to up her season total to a team-leading 25 stolen bases and has yet to be thrown out on the basepaths.
 
THE GAME
The Fighting Irish struck first Sunday when they hit an infield single that scored a runner from third base to take a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the fifth, Brown singled and stole second, allowing Cameron Fagan to knock her in on an infield single to the shortstop and the teams went to the sixth inning tied 1-1.
 
Notre Dame took back the lead in the top of the sixth with two solo home runs. Junior pitcher Keely Rochard entered the game in the top of the seventh for the Hokies and shut down the Irish batters in a three-up, three-down inning, but Tech was unable to scrape anything across in the bottom half and dropped the finale.
 
NOTES

• With three hits from three at-bats Sunday, Brown upped her season batting average to .416 which currently leads the team. If the season ended today, Brown would finish the year with the second-highest season batting average in school history behind Jenna Rhodes' .474 2009 season.

• Fagan got the Hokies' lone RBI Sunday and now has 13 runs batted in in her debut season for VT.

• Sophomore Kelsey Bennett got the start Sunday at shortstop and played exceptional defense in the field, leading the team with four assists.

 
UP NEXT
The Hokies will look to right the ship when they visit Liberty in Lynchburg, Virginia this Wednesday for a one-game midweek trip before traveling to upstate New York for a weekend set with Syracuse. Wednesday's first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the game can be streamed on ESPN+.Gallery: (4-25-2021) 2021 SOFTBALL VS. NOTRE DAME SUNDAY