BLACKSBURG –After trips to Louisville and Longwood, the Virginia Tech softball team returns home to host No. 19/20 Notre Dame in a doubleheader Saturday and single game Sunday at 1 p.m. The Hokies hold an even 21-21 overall record, 10-5 in conference play while the Irish are 29-6 on the season, 6-3 ACC.
Saturday is first responders and community heroes day at Tech Softball Park. In addition to bunch courtesy of The Retreat, Sunday is Greek day where the organization with the top attendance will have $200 donated to their philanthropy.
Last at-bat: The Hokies went 1-4 in their their five-game road trip, highlighted by a 4-0 shutout on Sunday morning at Louisville. At Longwood, Maggie Tyler tossed 17 strikeouts in 8.2 innings in the circle. Breanna Davenport notched a single in her first two at-bats to hit 4-for-7 in the twin bill. Emma Strouth went 2-for-3 in game two with a pair of standup doubles and an RBI to put Tech on the board.
At Louisville, Tech bounced back from a loss in the series opener to shut out the Cardinals in game two, before falling short by a run in the finale. The Hokies recorded their eighth shutout of the season Sunday morning before dropping a heartbreaker in game two. Tyler pitched both games of the doubleheader, improving her record to 16-11 - a career high in single-season wins. Lauren Duff's 20-game hitting streak came to an end in game two, to rank second in VT history.
Down go the Dukes: The Hokies upset No. 7/6 James Madison in game one on Wednesday, handing the Dukes their third loss of the season. The 2016 Hokies put their name in the record books with the 2-1 win. Before the upset, the highest ranked opponent defeated at Tech Softball Park was No. 11 Houston in 2008. In addition, the victory over No. 6 is the highest-ranking win since the Hokies defeated Michigan in the 2008 Super Regional in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Maggie Tyler matched her single-season high, tossing her 15th win in the circle. Lauren Duff extended her hitting streak to 18 games in the doubleheader.
Three-time ACC Pitcher of the Week: Maggie Tyler was named the ACC's Pitcher of the Week for the third consecutive week, as announced on Monday. Tyler pitched the Hokies way to history on Wednesday with their highest-ranked win at home against No. 7/6 James Madison, allowing one run and striking out eight. On Sunday, Tyler set a new single-season record, tossing her 16th win of the season against Louisville. The senior gave up a mere four earned runs in 24.1 innings of work, posting a 1.48 ERA through three complete games and four appearances. Tyler allowed three hits and one walk while striking out seven in the 4-0 shutout at Louisville. Florida State’s Jessica Burroughs is the only other ACC pitcher to receive the award multiple times this season (three).
Duff's Dominance: Current Virginia Tech athlete of the week, Lauren Duff, extended her hitting streak to 20 games with a double and single in the first game on Sunday at Louisville before going 0-for-2 with a walk in game two. The freshman ranks second in program history with her 20-game hitting streak behind Kelly Brown’s 24 games in 2005. The freshman started all five games behind the plate, collecting 26 putouts while throwing two runners out attempting to steal second.
Versus the Irish: The Hokies trail the series against the Irish, 6-16, but hold a 2-3 record at TSP. Tech won four consecutive games from 2012-2014 but is winless since taking two of three in Blacksburg in March 2014.
On Deck: Tech will host Western Carolina on Tuesday for a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m. at Tech Softball Park.
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