BLACKSBURG - Beth Walker's three-run home run in the 10^th inning lifted the 18^th-ranked Virginia Tech softball team to a wild 5-2 win over the No. 14 North Carolina Tar Heels Saturday afternoon at Tech Softball Park. The second game was halted in the bottom of the sixth inning due to heavy rain and will resume Sunday.

The Hokies came out with a purpose early on, scoring a run in the third and fifth innings. In the third, Caroline Stolle led off with a walk and scored on Erin Ota's double to the left-center gap. In the fifth inning, the teams were called off the field for a 48-minute rain delay with Charisse Mariconda on first base after drawing a walk. After the delay concluded, she promptly stole second base and scored on Kelsey Hoffman's single to left field.

Tech appeared to be cruising to the win in the sixth inning, but with two outs, Ota committed a fielding error on a routine play to extend the Tar Heels' inning. UNC made the Hokies pay, doubling to the gap to score one run and then singled up the middle to tie it up.

That unfortunate miscue led to at least 40 more pitches for Angela Tincher, which would be a factor later on in the day. After neither team could push a run across in the eighth or ninth innings, Tech finally ended it in the 10^th inning. Kelsey Hoffman reached to lead off the inning on an error and was pinch run for by Jess Hodge. A single by Misty Hall put two on with two out. Walker then crushed the first pitch she saw to deep center field to set off a raucous celebration.

Tincher (W, 29-5) went the distance, throwing 138 pitches in 10.0 innings. She allowed two unearned runs on four hits with 16 strikeouts.

Tech had 10 hits for the game, two each from Jenna Rhodes, Walker and Whitney Davis. Ota, Mariconda, Hoffman and Hall each had one hit.

The excitement was short-lived as in game two, UNC hopped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning off starter Kenzie Roark. The plan was to start Tincher all three games, but because of her high pitch count from game one, head coach Scot Thomas went with Roark. After three hits and a run, Tincher was put into the game just 15 pitches in.

The Tar Heels plated another run in the third off Tincher to make it 2-0. Just before the bottom of the sixth inning began, play was halted just moments before thunderstorms flared up around the New River Valley and the skies opened up. After a 41-minute delay, the game was halted and will resume Sunday with the game heading into the bottom of the sixth inning.

For the day, Tincher threw 206, which will come into play Sunday as the two teams finish out the series. Heading into the sixth inning, Tech has its 2-3-4 hitters coming to the plate but has been no-hit by Danielle Spaulding through five innings. Spaulding has walked five, hit one and struck out eight in 5.0 innings. Though the stats aren't official yet, Tincher has six strikeouts, giving her 22 for the day and putting her 21 away from reaching the 2,000 strikeout mark.

Tech (40-12, 16-2 ACC) and UNC (47-9-1, 16-2 ACC) will wrap up the series on Sunday, concluding the second game of the series at 1 p.m., before playing the final game starting immediately after. The Hokies must come back and win the halted game, then win the final game of the series to take the ACC regular-season title.

Hoffman, Stolle and Tincher will be honored on Senior Day before the game.