SYRACUSE, N.Y. – After winning the first game of the series Friday, the No. 20/19 Virginia Tech softball team swept Syracuse in Saturday's doubleheader, 11-1 in five innings and 3-0, to win its eighth ACC series of the year.
The Hokies (31-12, 22-11 ACC) got two magnificent starts from ace Keely Rochard (23-7) who threw a combined 10.0 innings Saturday, allowing just one run off four hits and striking out 17 batters on the day. The junior finished off the doubleheader with her NCAA-leading 13th shutout of the year.
Tech's offense came to play Saturday, hitting four home runs in the doubleheader, including three-run homers from Cana Davis and Alexa Milius. Milius led the Hokies with four runs batted in on the day with the home run in Game 1 and an RBI single in Game 2.
"When I got up there and saw runners in scoring position, I knew I had to put the ball in play and score them anyway I could," Milius said. "I knew the pitcher was going to pitch me out so I tried to keep it on the right side of the field to move the runners. Keely was throwing a phenomenal game and I wanted to do anything I could to give her some run security."
GAME 1
The Hokies wasted no time getting on the board as they put up a four spot in the first inning. After loading the bases, Kelsey Brown scored on a wild pitch and then Kelsey Bennett put the ball in play scoring Jayme Bailey and Cameron Fagan. Addy Greene got Tech's first hit of the game with an RBI double, which brought the pinch runner Maija Louko home.
It was in the fourth inning that Tech really did some damage. Milius crushed her three-run homer way over the right-field wall to give the Hokies a 7-0 lead. After Mackenzie Lawter doubled and Darby Trull singled, Fagan singled up the middle to score Lawter. Next batter, Davis went yard with her three-run blast to straight-away center and Tech would lead 11-0.
Rochard was cruising, taking a no-hitter into the fourth inning before Syracuse got its first hit of the weekend. The junior would leave the game after that, giving way to freshman Mackenzie Osborne, who closed out the win allowing just one hit.
GAME 2
The second half of the doubleheader started as a pitcher's duel with both teams going into the fourth inning scoreless. It was there that Tech opened the scoring from a Bailey solo homer to center field with two outs. Then, after Bennett singled, Milius grounded one up the middle and pinch runner Maddy Federico came home from second base to go up 2-0.
Bennett hit her team-leading 11th home run of the season, a solo shot to right field, in the top of the sixth inning to secure the Hokies' 3-0 lead.
Rochard shut down the Orange all game, coming four outs away from her second no-hitter in as many days, striking out eight in her third game against the Syracuse lineup. She closed out the series win for the Hokies with another compete game shutout.
NOTES
- Davis tied her career high with three RBIs in Game 1. The junior hit her sixth home run of the season and is up to 16 RBIs on the year.
- Milius' home run was her fifth of the year and she is up to 15 RBIs on the season after four on Saturday.
- Brown successfully swiped another bag Saturday, upping her season total to a perfect 28 stolen bases on 28 attempts.
- Rochard struck out 16 batters in 10.0 innings Saturday. The Williamsburg, Virginia native has not allowed a hit in 14 of the 17 innings she has thrown this weekend.
UP NEXT
The Hokies and Orange close out their four-game series Sunday at noon. The finale can be streamed on ACC Network Extra.Gallery: (5-1-2021) 2021 SOFTBALL AT SYRACUSE SATURDAY