March 31, 2007

Box Scores

#25 Hokies 2, #24 NC State 0
#24 NC State 2, #25 Hokies 1

 

BLACKSBURG - Two tightly played contests were expected, and No. 24 N.C. State and No. 25 Virginia Tech didn't disappoint Saturday, as the two split a pair of ACC softball contests in front of 684 fans at Tech Softball Park. The Hokies took the opener 2-0 before the Wolfpack held on for a 2-1 victory in the second game.

In the opener, Tech's Angela Tincher gave up a season-high five hits and struck out a season-low nine batters, but it didn't matter as she pitched the shutout in running her record to 21-3.

The game was scoreless until the fifth inning when the Hokies struck for two runs. Charisse Mariconda and Jessica Everhart reached on fielder's choices before freshman Whitney Davis moved them over with a groundout to first. With two out in the inning, catcher Kelsey Hoffman singled to left field to drive in the two runners.

Tech had just three hits in the game, two coming from Hoffman and one from Anna Zitt. Shaina Ervin (L, 7-9) took the loss, striking out two and walking one while allowing two earned runs on three hits.

In the second game, Tech's Karie Morrison went a strong four innings before being relieved by Tincher in the fifth inning. State got on the board in the third when Laura Klem scored on Jen Chamberlin's single to right field. It was Chamberlin who gave the Pack a two-run lead when she launched a solo home run to right field off Tincher in the fifth inning. For the day, Chamberlin had four hits and two RBI in six official at bats.

The Hokies were being no-hit and were down 2-0 heading to the bottom of the seventh inning before they made things interesting. Stephanie Savre walked to lead off the inning and was pinch run for by Jenna Rhodes. Mariconda then drew a walk and Jessica Everhart broke up the no-hitter with a squib hit through the left side. That loaded the bases with no one out. Davis struck out swinging before Hoffman singled to right-center field to score Rhodes. Mariconda was forced to hold at third base, but Tech still had the bases loaded with one out. But Beth Walker struck out looking and Callie Rhodes was thrown out on a close play at first base to end the game.

Everhart and Hoffman had the lone two hits off State ace Abbie Sims (W, 15-5), who allowed one run on two hits while striking out seven and walking four. Morrison (L, 1-1) went four innings, allowing one run on five hits while walking two and striking out one. Tincher went the final three innings, giving up one run on one hit while striking out three.

With her 12 strikeouts on the day, Tincher now has 1,195 for her career and needs just five more to become the 20^th member of the NCAA career 1,200-strikeout club.

With the split, the Hokies move to 27-11 overall, 5-3 in the ACC while the Wolfpack moves to 24-15, 4-4 in the conference. The deciding game of the series will be played Sunday at Tech Softball Park with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.