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BLACKSBURG - The Virginia Tech softball team will be hosting its annual Military Appreciation Day against in-state rival Virginia on Sunday, April 13th at 1 p.m. at Tech Softball Park. For this special day, Operation: Hero Outreach will be collecting donation items prior and during the game to include in care packages for U.S. military men and women serving overseas. In addition to collecting items, there will be a table where fans can write letters and cards to be sent abroad for our servicemen and women.

Operation: Hero Outreach is a student organization started at Virginia Tech in October 2010. The goals of the organization are to provide support and boost morale for U.S. military men and women serving overseas through a wide range of activities such as sending letters, cards, care packages and pairing up pen pals.

The requested items to be donated before and during the game are hot chocolate, hard candy, granola/protein bars, instant oatmeal, baby wipes, toothbrushes, beef jerky, sunblock and trail mix. No other items will not be collected.

Additionally, the first 200 fans in attendance will receive a Virginia Tech Military Appreciation T-shirt. Each player and coach on the Virginia Tech softball team have selected a branch of military that they will be representing on the back of their special-edition camouflage uniforms.

First pitch in this ACC match-up between the Hokies and the Cavaliers will be at 1 p.m. The Hokies will also face off against Virginia on Saturday for a double-header beginning at noon. As always, admission to Tech Softball Park is free of charge.

Virginia will enter the weekend with a 6-32 record, 1-16 in the ACC with an NCAA adjusted RPI of 224 while the Hokies are 24-16 overall, 13-6 in the conference with an RPI of 28th. Tech leads the overall series 28-20 after taking two of three last season in Charlottesville. The two teams have played every season since 1998.

The Cavs are led at the plate by Marcy Bowdren, who is hitting .300 with five home runs and 18 RBIs. Madison Labshere leads the way with six home runs for an offense that hits .238 with 19 doubles and 36 stolen bases. The UVa pitching staff has an ERA of 7.83 and is led by Aimee Chapdelaine, who has seen a majority of the work. She is 6-26 with a 7.61 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 140.2 innings. She did throw two shutouts Wednesday against Delaware State to pick up two wins. Bowdren (0-3, 7.78 ERA, 27.0 IP) and Lindsay Mayer (0-3, 8.56 ERA, 54.0 IP) have also seen action in the circle.

Live stats for all three games will be available here.

Sunday’s game will be broadcast on HokiesXtra.

Sunday's game will also serve as Senior Day as it's the last home weekend game. Amanda Ake, Dani Anderson, Kat Banks and Laura Wolff will be recognized before the game.

For those fans coming to Saturday’s games, please be aware of the parking/traffic situation going on with the school’s Run for Remembrance.

For updates on Virginia Tech softball, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_Softball