Liberty University
28-13
Virginia Tech
30-5
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Tech | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 13 | 0 |
| Liberty | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
No. 2 Virginia Tech Halts Liberty's 14-Game Winning Streak, 8-1
4/12/2022 8:19:09 PM | Softball
Coach Richardson Postgame Press Conference
The No. 2 Virginia Tech Hokies earned an 8-1 win at Liberty on Tuesday in front of a season-high 1,114 fans at Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium, snapping the Lady Flames’ 14-game winning streak.
ACC-leading Virginia Tech, ranked No. 2 in the latest USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll, improves to 30-5 on the season. Meanwhile Liberty (28-13) sustained its first setback since March 16 against North Carolina, having won 14 straight games before tonight.
Scoring Summary
Virginia Tech – 1st INNING – Slaw singles to left, Ritter advances, Trull and Fagan score, 2-0
Virginia Tech – 2nd INNING – Bennett singles to right, Fagan advances, Lawter scores, 3-0
Liberty – 5th INNING – Soto doubles to right center, Wilson scores, 3-1
Virginia Tech – 6th INNING – Peck homers to left, 4-1
Virginia Tech – 7th INNING – Lawter homers to left, 5-1
Virginia Tech – 7th INNING – Fagan homers to left, 6-1
Virginia Tech – 7th INNING – Bennett homers to center, Bennett and Trull score, 8-1
Notable Numbers
- Virginia Tech outhit Liberty 13-3 for the game. The Hokies left six runners on base, while Liberty stranded four.
- Emma Lemley improves to 12-3 on the season with the win, allowing one run on two hits, striking out 10 and walking three. Keely Rochard earned a two-inning save, her fourth save of the season. Rochard allowed one hit and struck out three. Her final strikeout of the game was the 1,000th of Rochard’s career.
- Emily Kirby (6-4) drew the loss, allowing three runs on six hits, walking three and striking out five in five total innings pitched. Karlie Keeney yielded three runs on four hits, walking one in two innings, while McKenzie Wagoner gave up two runs on three hits.
- Cameron Fagan, younger sister of Liberty assistant coaches Kasey ad Sami Fagan, went 4-for-4 with a homer, one RBI and two runs scored, while Kelsey Bennett batted 2-for-4 with a homers and three RBI. Bre Peck and Mackenzie Lawter both homere, while Emma Ritter went 3-for-4 with a double.
- Liberty’s Alexis Soto went 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI, while Mary Clair Wilson scored the Lady Flames’ lone run.
Turning Point
- Virginia Tech led 3-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth. Wilson worked a one-out walk, before Soto came through with a two-out RBI double to make it 3-1. After a walk to Howard and a stolen base by pinch runner Lilly Heidorn, Caroline Hudson hit a high chopper to third that was converted into the third out.
- Virginia Tech homered once in the sixth and three times in the seventh, pulling away for the 8-1 final.
Beyond the Box Score
- Tonight’s attendance of 1,114 was the second highest attended softball game in Liberty Softball Stadium history. The record is 1,202, set March 19, 2019 against No. 5 Tennessee.
- Virginia Tech is now 37-16 all-time against Liberty in softball. The Lady Flames had won the last two meetings with the Hokies prior to tonight, with the last one being a dramatic nine-inning 5-3 win on April 28, 2021.
- Liberty’s 14-game overall winning streak was its third longest winning streak in program history and the longest since winning 17 straight games, April 3 through May 7, 2021.
- Liberty is now 5-6 against Virginia Tech under ninth-year head coach Dot Richardson.
- Devyn Howard went 1-for-2 with a walk, extending her streak to 16 straight games reaching base safely.
- The Lady Flames are 1-8 this season against Top 25 opponents, including 1-2 at home. No. 2 Virginia Tech is the highest-ranked opponent Liberty has faced in Lynchburg.
Up Next
The Lady Flames will head to Fort Myers, Fla., to compete in a three-game ASUN series at FGCU, Friday and Saturday.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: E. Lemley (12-3)
L: Kirby, Emily (6-4)
S: K. Rochard (4)
Batting:
2B: E. Ritter 1
HR: C. Fagan 1 ; K. Bennett 1 ; B. Peck 1 ; M. Lawter 1
RBI: C. Fagan 1 ; K. Bennett 3 ; M. Slaw 2 ; B. Peck 1 ; M. Lawter 1
Base Running:
RUNS: C. Fagan 2 ; D. Trull 2 ; K. Bennett 1 ; B. Peck 1 ; M. Lawter 2
CS: J. Pearson 1
Batting:
2B: Soto, Alexis 1
RBI: Soto, Alexis 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Wilson, Mary Claire 1
SB: Heidorn, Lilly 1
