April 2, 2006

Box Scores

Hokies 7, BC 6
Hokies 6, BC

 

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - The Virginia Tech softball team swept a pair of games from Boston College Sunday afternoon at Shea Field. In the opener, Tech rallied for a 7-6 victory before winning the second game 6-0. With Saturday's win, the Hokies sweep their first ever ACC series, coming in their second season in the league.

The two teams began the day by finishing Saturday's suspended game. The game resumed in the bottom of the second inning and Tech quickly got the last out to send the game to the third inning.

In the fourth inning, Jessica Everhart singled through the left side of the infield and moved to third on Kelsey Hoffman's double off the right field fence. Everhart scored on Caroline Stolle's bloop single to left field.

Boston College put six unearned runs on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Tech's Erin Ota committed errors on consecutive plays to allow two runners on before Ashley Obrest launched a three-run home run to left to make it 3-1. After a single and a walk, Stephanie Savre committed an error before pinch hitter Kimmy Hopkin singled up the middle to make it 4-1. At that point, Angela Tincher was substituted for starter Katie Maynard. She gave up a single on a fly ball lost in the sun and another on a wild pitch as BC took a 6-1 lead.

In the sixth, Stolle drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 6-2, before Alisia Narodowski ripped a double to the wall in left to score Everhart and Hoffman. After Ota drove in Stolle with a single to right field to make it 6-5, Kelly Brown then roped a double to left field to drive in pinch runner Jenna Rhodes from third and tie the game up.

Tech took the lead in the seventh when Mariconda led off the inning with a solo home run on a 3-0 count to make it 7-6.

At the plate, the Hokies pounded out 13 hits, with batters coming up with two apiece. Callie Rhodes, Ota, Mariconda and Everhart each had two hits while Brown, Savre, Hoffman, Stolle and Narodowski had one.

In the circle, Maynard got the start, but didn't factor into the decision. She went 3.1 innings, giving up six unearned runs on three hits while walking two and striking out three. Tincher picked up the win in relief, going 3.2 innings. She allowed two hits and two walks while striking out four.

In the second game, Tech batters drew four walks to score a run in the first inning, the last coming when Everhart walked to score Rhodes. In the second, Savre's double to left drove in Rhodes and Ota to make it 3-0, forcing a BC pitching change. In the third inning, with the bases loaded again, Ota was hit by a pitch to give the Hokies a four-run lead.

In the fifth inning, Ota doubled with two outs and scored on Brown's single to the gap, making it 5-0. Mariconda later doubled down the line to score Brown to increase the lead.

In the circle, Tincher (W, 18-2) went the distance, allowing three hits and three walks. She struck out just 10, well below her average, but induced six ground balls and four fly outs as her defense played solidly behind her.

At the plate, Ota, Savre and Everhart each had two hits while Brown, Mariconda, Stolle and Beth Walker each had a hit.

Tech (28-8, 7-2 ACC) will have the week off before traveling to College Park for a three-game ACC series with the University of Maryland beginning with a 1 p.m., doubleheader on Saturday.