Hokies wrap up homestand with doubleheader against ETSU

Tech carries momentum after run-rule victory over North Carolina on Sunday

March 20, 2017

BLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech softball team will welcome East Tennessee State for a midweek doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 21, that will wrap up an eight-game homestand at Tech Softball Park for the Hokies. Both games will be streamed on WatchESPN via HokieVision LIVE and live stats can be found on HokieSports.com.

The Hokies (11-13, 3-6 ACC) are coming off a convincing 13-4 run-rule win, their fifth of the season, over North Carolina on Sunday. The win came a day after tech dropped a heartbreaking 4-3 loss in eighth innings to the Tar Heels on Saturday.

East Tennessee State enters Tuesday with a 12-14 overall record and have won four of their last five games. The Hokies lead the all-time series, 13-1, and are undefeated against the Buccaneers at Tech Softball Park, 7-0. The two teams played a single game last season on May 3 in Johnson City and the Hokies came out with a 2-0 win. Virginia Tech head coach Scot Thomas graduated from East Tennessee State in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education.

HOKIES HIT HOMERS
•After hitting five more home runs over the weekend against the Tar Heels, the Hokies now lead the ACC with 33 team home runs and are tied with UNC Greensboro for eighth nationally.
•The Hokies average 1.38 home runs per game, the third most in Division I and the most in the conference.
•Senior Vanessa Gonzalez leads the team and ranks in a tie for sixth in the ACC with six home runs while junior Breanna Davenport and sophomore Emma Strouth are tied for ninth in the league with five home runs apiece.
•Tech also rank second in the ACC and 15th in the nation with a .519 slugging percentage.

WHY DO PEOPLE RUN ON DUFF?
•Sophomore catcher Lauren Duff has picked up right where she left off behind the plate as a freshman as she’s posted a .421 caught stealing rate (8-for-19) thus far this season.
•Her nine runners thrown out is tied for first in the ACC along with Georgia Tech catcher Kaylee Ellebracht, who’s thrown out nine runners on 34 attempts.
•Duff threw three runners out in the Hokies’ three-game series against North Carolina and all three ended an inning.
•The Chesapeake, Virginia native ranked second in the ACC last season with 13 runners caught stealing.

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