Hokies split on first day at the Jacksonville Invitational

Eberle, Dail combine to allow only one earned run in two complete game efforts

March 2, 2018

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Virginia Tech (8-7)	0	0	1	2	0	0	0	3	8	1
Campbell (8-9)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Jacksonville, Fla. - 114 Box Score

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Virginia Tech’s pitching continued to be dominant in a Friday split at the Jacksonville Invitational as the Hokies fell in its first game to Iowa State, 2-0, before defeating Campbell, 3-0.

Between sophomore Carrie Eberle and freshman Jordan Dail, the Hokies (8-7) saw two complete games, five hits given up, 17 strikeouts and only one earned run allowed.

Freshman Sammi Miller registered a multi-hit game in the loss to the Cyclones while junior Emma Strouth and freshman Casey Barrett posted two hits a piece in the win over the Camels. Junior Caitlyn Nolan had a two-run home run, her first of the season, and junior Olivia Lattin had an RBI single in Tech’s second game.

VIRGINIA TECH 3, CAMPBELL 0

After striking out the side in the bottom of the first, Dail surrendered her lone base hit of the day in the home half of the second with two outs. She was able to get the next batter to fly out to right to end the frame though, setting up the inning with the Hokies’ first run.

Barrett reached on a single to the pitcher to lead off the top of the third and later moved to second on a groundout. With two down, Lattin sent a 1-1 pitch back up the middle for a base hit that scored Barrett from second and gave the Hokies a 1-0 lead.

Dail struck out two more batters in the third and Tech got the lead off runner on again in the top of the fourth, thanks to a base hit from junior Sierra Walton. Walton was lifted for pinch runner Kinsey Johnson, who remained at second after a strikeout and fly out. Nolan then stepped to the plate and rocketed her first home run of the season over the left field fence, extending the Hokies’ lead to 3-0.

It was all Dail needed as she responded after the home run by striking out the side in the home half. She retired nine Camels in a row at one point by the end of the fifth and later notched her 11th strikeout of the game with a runner on third and two outs in the bottom of the sixth.

IOWA STATE 2, VIRGINIA TECH 0

Eberle made quick work of the Cyclones in the top of the first where she recorded her first strikeout of the day but the Hokies left two runners on in the home half.

On the first pitch of the second inning, Eberle allowed her lone earned run of the game on a home run over the right field fence that put Iowa State out in front, 1-0. Eberle settled down though and responded with a strikeout that ended the inning.

The Hokie bats weren’t doing much to help Eberle’s cause as they left two on in the bottom of the fourth and squandered an opportunity with two runners in scoring position and one out in the fifth when a sharply liner off the bat of Lattin was caught by the third baseman, who then stepped on the bag at third to complete the double play and end the inning.

The Cyclones tacked on another run in the top of the seventh that made it 2-0 and, despite putting two runners on in the bottom half, the Hokies couldn’t extend the game.

Tech will be back in action tomorrow with two more games at the Jacksonville Invitational. The Hokies will first face Presbyterian at noon before taking on host Jacksonville at 2:30 p.m. on WatchESPN.

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