March 9, 2004

KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The Virginia Tech softball team picked up a pair of big wins at the Rebel Spring Games Tuesday at Osceola Park. In the early game, Tech pounded St. Bonaventure, 11-2 in six innings before holding to defeat a tough Central Michigan squad, 4-3. With the wins, Tech is now 12-6 on the season.

In the opener, Tech took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Mindi Wylie drove in Megan Evans with a single that just passed over the third base bag for a fair ball down the line. Evans reached on a fielding error, moved to second on Rachel Pacheco's sacrifice bunt and moved to third on a wild pitch.

In the third inning, Kelly Brown led off with a single to left field and moved to second on Caitlin Murphy's ground out. With two outs, Evans stepped to the plate and laced a pitch up the middle to score Brown from second. With the ball rolling into center field, it went under the glove on SBU's Kristin Brunetto and rolled to the fence. Evans took advantage of it and hauled around the bases to score on the error, making it 3-0.

The Bonnies got an unearned run in the fourth inning, but Tech responded with three more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Brown led off with another infield single and was eventually driven in by Wylie's infield single. Ashley Yeager drove in Murphy and Evans with a single to right field to make it 6-1. The Hokies put two more runs on the board in the sixth inning courtesy of Evans' single to left, scoring Brown and Theresa Walsh, who both reached via walk. Pacheco nearly ended the game, but her ball went off the fence for a double scoring one run. Wylie ended it one batter later when she reached on a fielder's choice and both Allyson Campbell and Pacheco scored.

For the game, the Hokies pounded out 12 hits, with Brown and Wylie each picking up three. Both Evans and Yeager had two hits and two RBI. Pacheco and Sarah Prosise each had one hit.

Pacheco got the start in the circle and went five-plus innings to run her record to 3-1. She allowed two unearned runs on six hits while striking out three. Katie Maynard entered the game in the sixth inning with two on and none out with a 6-2 lead. She got two strikeouts and a ground out to end the threat. In all, she pitched one inning to pick up her first save of the season. She allowed no hits and struck out two.

The second game saw the Hokies take a quick 2-0 lead when Evans blasted her sixth home run of the season to straight away center on a 1-2 count, scoring Brown who led off the game with a walk. The home run was Evans' 26^th of her career, building on her school record.

The Chippewas, who are receiving votes in both national polls, slowly fought back, scoring a run in the third inning and one more in the fourth, chasing starter Karie Morrison. Morrison went 3.1 innings, giving up two earned runs on five hits. She struck out two and walked two, earning a no decision. Maynard entered in relief once again and went 3.2 innings. She allowed three hits and an earned run while striking out four to pick up the win and move to 5-4.

Tech took the lead back in the fifth inning when Pacheco singled in Prosise on a single to left. Prosise and Murphy singled with two outs and the inning appeared to be over when Evans popped up to third base, but Allie Hansen dropped the ball to prolong the inning. Pacheco stepped up and delivered a single to left on a 1-2 count to give Tech a 3-2 lead.

Central Michigan quickly tied it back up in its half of the fifth inning when Lindsey Calme doubled to left field to drive in a run with two outs on a 3-2 count. But the Hokies didn't panic, coming back to re-claim the lead in the top of the sixth inning. With one down and a 1-2 count, Ciara Chaffee blasted a solo home run to left-center field to make it 4-3. It was her third round tripper of the season.

Heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Chippewas had their 2-3-4 hitters coming to the plate and Brittany Decker led off the inning with a single to left field. Christian Dhondt tried to move her over with a sacrifice bunt, but Maynard pounced on the ball and threw out Decker at second base. Maynard then got a strikeout and a fly out to end the game.

For the game, CMU pitcher Amber Puchalski struck out 13 Tech batters, but gave up two home runs and was hurt by the fielding behind her. As a team, Tech had six hits, coming from six different players. Brown, Prosise, Murphy, Evans, Pacheco and Chaffee each had one hit.

Tech will be wrap up play at the Rebel Games on Wednesday, taking on Niagara at 8:50 a.m., before playing Butler at 10:40 a.m. After that, Tech will head south to Miami to participate in the Blue & Gold Classic, hosted by Florida International. There, Tech will play FIU, UMass and Miami University.