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Softball
Home Runs Power Virginia Tech to Series Victory
March 5, 2017
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Three solo home runs lifted Virginia Tech (10-6, 2-1 ACC) to a 5-1 victory over Virginia (9-10, 1-2 ACC) in the final game of a three-game series at The Park.
The first pitch of the game was a snapshot of how the Hokies won their third-straight series against the Cavaliers. Vanessa Gonzalez drove the first pitch she saw over the left field wall to give Virginia Tech the game’s initial lead. Emma Strouth and Olivia Lattin added solo shots in the fourth and fifth innings respectively to pace the Hokie offense.
In a matchup of the top two home run hitting teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference, a total of 12 left the yard in the three-game set. Virginia Tech compiled eight home runs in the series compared to four from Virginia. Including all games this weekend, the Cavaliers still lead the ACC with 25 homers on the season.
The lone Virginia run came across in the in the bottom of the fifth when Ashlee Davis, who reached earlier in the inning on her second double of the spring, scored on a wild pitch to make the score 3-1. The run was 49th run this season scored by the Cavaliers in the fifth inning or later.
The Hokie pitching combination of Chelsea Whitcomb and Carrie Eberle limited Virginia to just six hits, one day after matching a season-high with 13. Whitcomb scattered four hits over four innings of work and struck out one to earn her second win of the season. Eberle tossed the final three innings and earned the save.
Junior Allison Davis made her first appearance in the circle since Feb. 17 after coming on in relief in the first inning. She limited the Hokie damage and stranded two runners in scoring position in the frame. She went on to toss a season-high six innings and stranded seven Virginia Tech base runners.
Sophomore Erika Osherow (Darien, Conn.) went 2-for-3 with a double as Virginia’s only multi-hit performer. Senior McKall Miller collected her team-leading seventh double of the season, and was 1-for-3 in the contest.
The Cavaliers will play a doubleheader on Tuesday at Radford before returning home for an ACC series next weekend against Boston College.
The Commonwealth Clash presented by Virginia529 is a head-to-head, points-based competition between the athletic teams at University of Virginia and Virginia Tech. The Commonwealth Clash encourages a friendly, statewide rivalry between the two schools across all school-sponsored sports with 22 individual event points on the line. The school that accumulates 11.5 points or more will be crowned the winner and take home the Virginia529 Commonwealth Clash trophy. Visit www.TheCommonwealthClash.com for more information and updated standings.