PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Coming off the 2022 ACC Regular Season Title, the No. 1 seed Virginia Tech Hokies open the ACC Championship tomorrow against the No. 9 seed Syracuse. First pitch is set for 11 a.m. on ACC Network.
LAST TIME OUT
The Hokies defeated Liberty 13-9 last Tuesday, their second win over Liberty this season. The game was shortened to five innings due to weather in the Blacksburg area. Tech was led by Meredith Slaw, Kelsey Bennett and Jayme Bailey at the plate, each with two hits. Bennett tallied four RBI, including a two-run home run in the second, her seventh home run of the season. Slaw also added two RBI. In the circle, Keely Rochard made the start, striking out four. Ivy Rosenberry came on in relief in the third, receiving the win, while Emma Lemley came on to throw an inning in relief to earn the save.
THE MATCHUP
The Hokies own a 15-14 advantage over Syracuse, with the last time these teams met a sweep back in March. Tech defeated the Orange 13-1 (5 inn.), 8-1 and 6-1 to earn its first ACC series win and sweep of the season. The game one win against the Orange marked head coach Pete D'Amour's 200th career win.
TECH RESUME
The Hokies have played 31 games against teams who are ranked in the top 75 of the RPI as of May 2. Tech is 25-6 in those games, including wins over Florida State, Tennessee, Kentucky, Northwestern and Mizzou. In 25 appearances against top RPI teams, Rochard has posted a 1.89 ERA with a 16-2 record, striking out 210 batters. Meredith Slaw is hitting .415 over 65 at bats in those 31 games, leading the team with 27 RBI and a .723 slugging percentage.
A SEASON AGO
The Hokies opened the 2021 ACC Championship with a 4-1 win over Notre Dame after previously being swept by the Irish in the regular season. In the semifinals, Tech lost 2-0 to Clemson to end its run in the ACC Tournament. From there, the Hokies went on a four-game win streak to win the Tempe Regional and beat UCLA in game one of the LA Super Regional
UP NEXT
If the Hokies advance past Syracuse tomorrow, they will take on the winner of No. 4 Notre Dame and No. 5 Clemson at 1 p.m. on Friday.
