Hokies, Rain Extinguish Flames in Offensive Showdown

By Ishan Lamba

Staff Writer

May 4, 2022

BLACKSBURG — Mary Claire Wilson strode into the left-handed batter’s box for the third time of the day in the fifth inning. After a home run ball already left the tip of her bat to score four runs, the Liberty center fielder was high on confidence.

The first pitch from Ivy Rosenberry was dismissed yet again to straightaway center, silencing the home crowd yet again and tacked on another three runs as it brought the Flames to within two runs, 11-9.

Wilson might’ve had more to say, but the evening was cut short due to inclement weather, and after 5 ½ innings, No. 2 Virginia Tech (40-6, 21-2 ACC) took care of the visiting Flames (38-15, 21-0 ASUN) in the Hokies’ final regular season game of the season, 13-9.

In another of a long series of “lasts” for this year’s graduating seniors, Keely Rochard hoped to deliver a dominant performance, as usual, to close out her regular season career.

Instead, the veteran pitcher was rocked early, surrendering a leadoff single to Devyn Howard, then a homer to Caroline Hudson that put Liberty up two at the end of the top of the first.

After giving up another single, Rochard bounced back in vintage fashion, striking out the next three to end the inning.

Tech retaliated in the bottom half thanks to Kelsey Bennett.

After starting pitcher Naomi Jones walked two of the first three batters and was subsequently pulled, Bennett belted the softball off the NCAA logo in right field to bat Cameron Fagan and Morgan Overaitis home.

With a brand new ball game, VT continued the bounce back with Rochard only facing three batters in the second.

Just as it seemed the Hokies would suffer a similar fate, Jayme Bailey and Fagan struck two singles to rally with two outs.

Emma Ritter then awkwardly placed the ball to Howard at shortstop. She attempted to flip it to Raigan Barrett at second, but Barrett fumbled the ball and Fagan reached safely. Bailey capitalized on the chaos to score to take the lead, 3-2.

On the very next pitch, Overaitis drilled a no-doubter to the right of the scoreboard to extend the lead to four.

After Meredith Slaw reached on another single, Bennett hit a moonshot to make the score 8-2.

Despite Darby Trull and Mackenzie Lawter reaching scoring position, the furious rally concluded when Bre Peck popped out.

The third inning started off rather innocently.

After Howard lined out and Hudson was walked, Kara Canetto hit a comebacker to Rochard. Rochard abruptly turned to first, hoping to throw out Hudson. Instead, it went wayward and two runners were aboard.

Lou Allan, the designated player for Liberty, worked an 11-pitch walk off of Rochard, loading the bases with just one out.

The next pitch, Wilson delivered the only hit of the frame – but it was the only one that mattered. A grand slam to straightaway center pulled the Flames within two of their in-state foes, as Rochard pulled from the game mid-inning.

After being pressured by Liberty, the Hokies answered back quickly. A single, walk, and single from Bailey, Fagan and Ritter loaded the bases with no outs.

Following Overaitis’s pop up to Barrett, Slaw guided a pitch directly down the third base line, lining just fair and rolling all the way to the wall. The knock cleared all the bases and earned the Hokies back three of the four runs lost in the top of the inning.

The fourth inning came and went with little disturbance, the lone inning without any offense.

Action picked up again in the fifth inning as the Flames looked to mount a comeback.

Following two singles from Canetto and Allan, Wilson’s first-pitch homer off Rosenberry cut the five-run deficit to two and once again sowed doubt in the minds of the second best team in the country.

Tech went 1-2-3 in response before Emma Lemley was sent in to close out the game.

Liberty gave the Hokies more problems that they’d faced throughout most of the season, forcing them to use three pitchers.

Lemley dealt with opposing batters with ease before the Hokies piled on more in the bottom of the sixth.

After Lawter was walked, Peck had the at-bat of the game.

Twelve pitches came her way, eight of which she fouled off. On the 12th pitch, she finally got the contact she desired. Yet another one over the wall doubled the lead for the Hokies.

Leading 13-9, Overaitis hoped to add to the cushion, but lightning struck nearby during her at-bat and that would ultimately end the game, as storms continued to pepper the area.

The Hokies recorded their first 40-win season since their strong 2019 campaign.

Following a one week hiatus, Tech will be back in action in Pittsburgh for the ACC Tournament. After securing the No. 1 seed last weekend, the Hokies will look for their first ACC championship since the days of Angela Tincher back in 2008.