1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Virginia Tech (6-11)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
(24) Massachusetts (9-4)	0	0	0	0	3	0	X	3	6	0
Clearwater, FL - 208 Box Score

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	R	H	E
Quinnipiac (3-6)	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	4	0
Virginia Tech (7-11)	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	2	6	1
Clearwater, FL - 218 Box Score

CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Virginia Tech softball squad split a pair of games Saturday at the USF Under Armour Invitational, falling to No. 24 Massachusetts 3-0 before bouncing back to beat Quinnipiac, 2-1 in eight innings.

In the day’s second game, it was the Ashton Ward show as the junior transfer played her best game in the maroon and orange. She pitched seven innings, allowing one unearned runs on four hits with seven strikeouts. She also picked up four hits, including the game winner in extra innings.

The game was scoreless until the sixth inning when the Bobcats plated a run. The Hokies responded when Whitney Davis, after fouling off several pitches, doubled to the gap to tie the game up. In the eighth, Jasmin Harrell was brought in and struck out two to get out of the inning. In the bottom of the eighth, Ward tried to get the bunt down, but failed twice and then laced a double to left to score Bkaye Smith to give the Hokies the win.

Ward led the way with four hits while Davis and Kristin Graham each had one. Harrell picked up the win in relief.

The first game of the day didn’t go as well as the Hokies put up a good fight, but one bad inning doomed them in falling 3-0 to the Minutewomen. Neither team was able to get anything going until the fifth inning. UMass picked up its first hit of that game and strung together four that inning to bust it open. A two-RBI double and then a single plated the runs UMass would need to pick up the win.

Tech’s bats were cold as the Hokies picked up just three hits - two from Davis and one from Courtney Liddle.

Kenzie Roark (L, 2-7) pitched another good game, but the lack of offensive support didn’t help things. She allowed three runs on six hits with two walks and a strikeout to a hot-hitting UMass team.

Tech will finish up play in Clearwater Sunday with an 11 a.m. game against Memphis.