March 21, 2004

BLACKSBURG - On a day when the wind was blowing and snow flurries were in the air, the Virginia Tech softball team couldn't get heated up in time and dropped a 3-1 contest to Mount St. Mary's in the final game of the Hokie Fastpitch Club Classic. Despite the loss, the Hokies still captured the tournament title thanks to a 3-2 win over Marshall Saturday.

The Mount (3-9) got an unearned run in the first inning and then tacked on a pair of runs in the fourth thanks to three doubles to take a 3-0 lead. The Hokies loaded the bases with none out in the seventh, but could only push one run across thanks to Megan Evans' sacrifice fly.

Megan Stone (L, 0-1) made her first start of the season and was chased in the fourth inning. She went 3.2 innings, allowing three runs - two earned - on four hits while striking out one. Karie Morrison entered the game in the fourth and shut down the Mount the rest of the way, but the damage was done at that point. Morrison allowed just one hit in 2.1 innings, striking out one.

Mount St. Mary's pitcher Maria Lutz kept the Hokies' high-powered offense off balance by getting the Hokies to chase outside pitches all game. She allowed one run on just four hits and four walks while striking out five.

Callie Rhodes led off the seventh with a single and moved to second on Kelly Brown's walk. The two then executed a double steal to put runners on second and third with none down. Sarah Prosise reached on a sharp single off of Lutz' hand to load the bases. Caitlin Murphy laced a shot up the middle, but Lutz made a nice play to record the first out. Evans' sac fly put Tech on the board, but gave the Mount two outs. Rachel Pacheco then ended the game with a weak grounder back to Lutz.

Brown, Prosise, Rhodes and Pacheco had the four hits.

Earlier in the day, ETSU beat St. Francis, 9-1 in six innings, and Marshall rolled to a 9-1, five-inning win over Appalachian State. Marshall and Tech finished 4-1. ASU and the Mount both went 2-3 while St. Francis went 0-5.

The loss breaks Tech's seven-game winning streak and drop the Hokies to 23-9 overall. The Hokies will be back in action on Wednesday, traveling to Charlottesville to take on the University of Virginia in a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.