Hokie ClubLYNCHBURG, Va. – No. 10/11 Virginia Tech (37-6, 11-4 ACC) shut out Liberty (20-22, 13-4 CUSA), 9-0, in a midweek matchup on Wednesday at Liberty Softball Stadium.
Three Hokies hit home runs, and Bree Carrico and Avery Layton combined for the shutout.
How It Happened
The Hokies wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. After an Addison Foster leadoff double, Jordan Lynch smoked her 13th home run of the season to dead center field to make it 2-0 in the top of the first.
Lynch struck again in her second at bat with her third RBI of the day. After a walk from Foster, Lynch drilled her team-leading 16th double of the year to the gap in left center to bring Foster home and extend the lead to 3-0.
Tech extended its lead in the top of the fifth with a solo shot by Nora Abromavage to left field – her 13th home run of the season – to make it 4-0. Shortly after, Rache Castine hit an RBI single to right field to bring home Lyla Blackwell and make it a 5-0 game.
In the top of the seventh, Blackwell led off the inning with a single, followed by a walk from Zoe Yaeger and a single from Castine to load the bases. With Gaby Mizelle up to bat, the freshman launched her sixth career home run, and the first grand slam of her career, to take the 9-0 lead.
Bree Carrico and Avery Layton combined for a four-hit shutout with five strikeouts.
Game Notes
• Tech improved to 45-16 in all-time matchups against the Flames
• The Hokies have now won the past nine games against Liberty
• The win was Tech’s eighth shutout victory of the year
• Tech has outhit its opponent in 40 of 43 games played
• Nora Abromavage hit her 13th home run of the season
• Jordan Lynch hit her 13th home run of the season
• Lynch, along with her team-best 16th double of the year, recorded three RBIs
• Gaby Mizelle recorded her first career grand slam and her sixth home run
• Bree Carrico improved to 12-0 with her win
• Her and Avery Layton combined for a four-hit shutout with five strikeouts
• Layton earned her first save of her career
Up Next
No. 10 Virginia Tech (37-6, 11-4 ACC) returns to Blacksburg for an ACC series against Georgia Tech (27-22, 8-10 ACC) from April 17-19 at Tech Softball Park. The games will be televised on ACC Network and ACC Network Extra.