No. 16 Virginia Tech responds to rare loss with 8-0 win over louisville

Nick Cheshire

March 28, 2021

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — After Louisville’s gritty come-from-behind victory in the second game of the Saturday doubleheader, Keely Rochard and No. 16 Virginia tech responded with a decisive 8-0 mercy-rule victory on Sunday.

With its win Sunday, No. 16 Virginia Tech (19-5, 13-5 ACC) takes three out of four from Louisville (10-14, 4-9 ACC) in Kentucky.

The Hokies won 2-0 on Friday and 3-0 in the first game on Saturday, but the Cardinals took the Saturday afternoon game behind a late sixth inning rally against Rochard.

It felt like a revenge game for the Hokies’ ace, and after giving up a two-run home-run to Makayla Hurst in her relief appearance in game three, Rochard was both dominant and efficient in game four, only allowing the one base hit, a Carmyn Greenwood double in the second inning.

The Virginia Tech lineup proved to once again be incredibly potent from top to bottom, with seven of Sunday’s nine starters recording a base hit in the abbreviated five-inning contest. No. 9 hitter Cana Davis capped off the hitting with an impressive two-run shot to give the Hokies a 3-0 lead in the second inning.

Leading off the third, Jayme Bailey blasted a solo homer over the left field wall, her fourth of the year and the second VT long ball of the day, stretching the lead to 4-0.

The Hokies did the majority of their damage in the top of the fifth, where they broke things open by adding four runs and putting them within mercy-rule range. Three Virginia Tech hits combined with a trio of Louisville fielding errors put the ball back in Rochard’s hands with an 8-0 lead and only three outs remaining.

Rochard went 1-2-3 in the fifth, good enough for her ninth shutout of the season. In five innings, she walked one and allowed just the one hit while striking out a rather modest six batters, by her standards.

Rochard earned the win for the Hokies, her 15th of the year against a mere two losses, while Taylor Roby took the loss for the Cardinals, dropping her to 6-7 on the year.

Virginia Tech heads to Charlottesville for a Tuesday meeting with Virginia, and Louisville will travel to Pittsburgh for a four game series starting Thursday.