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BLACKSBURG – A walk-off single by senior Kristina Cruz helped the Virginia Tech softball squad split a pair of games with Longwood Tuesday evening at Tech Softball Park. Longwood downed the Hokies 4-2 in the first game and then the Hokies rallied from an early four-run deficit to win the second game 7-6.

In the first game, the Hokies jumped out quickly, scoring two runs in the first inning. Ashton Ward led off with a triple and scored on Kristen Froehlich’s double and then Froehlich came in to score on Richelle McGarva’s single to left field. Longwood put the leadoff runner on base in each of the first three innings, but couldn’t convert until the third, when Jordan Cox drove home a run with a single.

Longwood continued to hit Tech starter Kenzie Roark hard in tying up the game in the fourth inning while proceeding to load the bases to force a pitching change. Jasmin Harrell came in and got a big strikeout to keep the game tied.

But Longwood kept hitting what the Hokies were throwing in as the No. 9 hitter doubled in a run in the fifth inning after Harrell walked two batters to take a 3-2 lead. Longwood scored a big insurance run in the seventh to ice the game as the Hokies couldn’t get anything going offensively in falling 4-2.

After starting out hot in the first inning, Tech got nothing rolling at the plate after that off Longwood pitcher Briana Wells. At the plate, Tech had five hits, but none after the second inning and the last 12 batters were retired by Wells. Ward had two hits to lead the way while Froehlich, Dani Anderson and McGarva each had one.

Roark lasted just 3.2 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts in the no decision. Harrell (L, 15-6) went the final 3.1 innings, allowing two runs on three hits with three walks and three strikeouts.

The second game didn’t start any better as Longwood jumped all over Harrell, who got the start. She allowed four straight hits, including a bases-clearing, three-RBI double to quickly make it 3-0. Harrell recorded just one out before she was pulled in favor of Roark. Roark tossed a wild pitch and then gave up an RBI single to make it 4-0.

But the Hokies didn’t give up and fought back in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases before Courtney Liddle drove in two runs with a bloop single. Betty Rose then plated a run with a double to left field and then McGarva tied it up with a single to the gap. Kat Banks drove in a run with a single to left field and give the Hokies a 5-4 lead after one wild inning of play.

Bkaye Smith got things started in the second inning with a leadoff single and then stole second base before moving to third base on a fly ball from Ward. Froehlich then drove her in with a perfect squeeze bunt to give the Hokies a 6-4 lead. Longwood used two singles, a sac bunt and RBI groundout in the third inning to cut the lead to one run.

The Lancers tied it up with a single in the fourth inning and the game stayed tied at 6-all until the seventh inning when Rose, Sarah Ashby and Cruz teamed up for the heroics. Rose led off the inning with a single to right field on the first pitch she saw and then Ashby went in as a pinch runner and promptly stole second base. After two pop ups, Cruz lifted a soft looper just over the shortstop’s head that allowed Ashby to scamper home for the winning run.

At the plate, the Hokies had 12 hits, led by two apiece from Froehlich, Rose and Cruz. Anderson, Liddle, Banks and Smith each had one in the win.

Harrell lasted just 1/3 of an inning, allowing four runs on four hits. Roark (W, 15-7) went the final 6.2 innings, allowing two runs on nine hits with three walks and two strikeouts.

Tech (32-14) will be back in action this weekend, hosting NC State in an ACC series. The two teams are scheduled to play the doubleheader Friday night starting at 5 o’clock with the single game slated for Saturday at noon.

For updates on Virginia Tech softball, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_Softball).