LOS ANGELES – The Virginia Tech softball team lost 6-0 to No. 2 UCLA Saturday night in the third game of its NCAA Super Regional to conclude its season, the best in recent memory.
The Hokies (37-15) advanced to the Super Regional round for the second time in program history, first since 2008, and did so in head coach Pete D'Amour's second full season at the helm in Blacksburg. Under D'Amour, Tech reached the NCAA Regionals in 2019 before the pandemic cancelled the second half of the 2020 season when the Hokies sported a 21-4 record.
Hokies pitcher Keely Rochard (29-10) ended her season with 348 strikeouts, the fifth-most in a single season in school history. The Williamsburg, Virginia native threw 4+ innings Saturday night against the Bruins (46-5) before giving way to freshman Ivy Rosenberry in the fifth inning.
QUOTING D'AMOUR
On the season
"I've been fortunate enough to be around some really good teams in my career and this is the closest I've been to the World Series, certainly as a head coach, since 2011, the last time we got there at Missouri. It's my second year here. Nothing to hang our heads on, we just need to build on it."
On next season's outlook
"We should be pretty formidable for the next couple years at least. If we do our jobs recruiting wise and build on it, we should be good for the foreseeable future. I'm looking forward to it."
QUOTING ROCHARD
On how she'll remember the season
"I'll just remember it as this is kind of the expectation at this point. Our team is definitely on the upward trend. I think everyone notices that."
On what she takes from the postseason run
"How well our team meshed together. We really clicked on all cylinders, pulled it together and played as a team."
THE GAME
UCLA scored an unearned run in the first inning and increased its lead to two in the second inning off a second error by the Hokies. The Bruins made it 3-0 in the third off a solo home run and scored their final three runs in the fifth inning from a homer.
The Hokies were unable to solve UCLA pitcher Rachel Garcia (17-1) in Game 3 after forcing her first loss of the season Thursday night. Tech managed two hits in the ballgame, one a single from Meredith Slaw in the first inning and the other off a leadoff, Kelsey Bennett double in the fifth.
NOTES
- Freshman Cameron Fagan led the team with four hits at the Los Angeles Super Regional and had a team-high .600 on-base percentage after drawing two walks.
- Rochard pitched admirably against the defending national champions, allowing eight earned runs to the Bruins in 18.0 innings pitched and striking out 22 in her three starts. The junior held UCLA to a .176 batting average.
- Rosenberry made her postseason debut Saturday night, throwing 2.0 innings and giving up just one hit and no runs to No. 2 UCLA.
Gallery: (5-29-2021) 2021 NCAA SOFTBALL SUPER REGIONAL at UCLA GAME 3