AUSTIN, Texas – The No. 10 Virginia Tech Hokies finished out day one at the Lone Star State Invitational with a 6-5 extra-innings victory over the No. 9 Texas Longhorns on Friday. The Hokies came back from a three-run deficit to take the win and move to 9-3 on the season.
Sophomore Emma Lemley (5-1) started in the circle and picked up the win for Virginia Tech. The right-hander went eight innings, allowing one walk and striking out seven. She ended the game with her seventh strikeout of the game.
Senior Kelsey Bennett came up clutch again for the Hokies, going 1-for-3 in the ballgame with a home run and two RBI. Senior Grace Chavez also came up big in a pinch-hit situation with a home run and two RBI to tie the game up in the third. Freshman Emma Jackson hit her first career home run at the right time for Tech, hitting a solo shot in the top of the seventh to tie up the game at 5-5.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Hokies were trailing 2-0 in the third inning when they first put runs on the board. Virginia Tech plated two runs when Chavez left the yard with freshman Teagan Thrunk aboard.
The Longhorns then scored three runs to retake their advantage heading in the bottom of the third. The Hokies responded in the top of the seventh, scoring three times to tie the game up, with an output that included back-to-back homers from Bennett and Jackson, which brought the score level at 5-5.
That 5-5 tie turned into a 6-5 Virginia Tech lead in the eighth. The Hokies scored once on an RBI single off the bat of junior Cameron Fagan. The score remained 6-5 for the rest of the game, as Virginia Tech took the win, its first Top-25 win of the season.
GAME NOTES
» Lemley struck out seven Longhorns hitters.
» Virginia Tech hitters hit three home runs in the ballgame.
» Lemley limited Texas to just 1-for-8 (.125) with runners in scoring position.
» Bennett led the Hokies at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI.
The Hokies return to action tomorrow, taking on Texas Southern at 11 a.m. ET and No. 9/13 Texas again at 4 p.m. ET.
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