Playing their first game at Tech Softball Park since April 30, 2019, Virginia Tech won two run-rule games Wednesday over Radford, 11-1 and 9-1. Both games ended after five innings.
The No. 18/16 Hokies (11-3, 7-3 ACC) once again had their offense firing on all cylinders, hitting eight home runs in the two games. Sophomore Kelsey Bennett, fresh off her record-setting three-homer performance Sunday, hit a home run in both games Wednesday, and Kayleigh Addington hit her first career home run in the first game.
Tech also got great pitching from freshmen Ivy Rosenberry (3-2) and Mackenzie Osborne (1-
0), who threw complete games and allowed just one earned run. It was the first start of
Osborne’s career after appearing in three games in relief.
GAME 1
Tech struck early with a two-run triple from Jayme Bailey in the first inning that scored Kelsey Brown and Darby Trull. Bennett then put the ball in play, which allowed Bailey to score from third and gave the Hokies a 3-0 lead after one.
The Hokies put up three more runs in the second with RBI doubles from Brown and Trull. Then in the third inning, Cana Davis and Alexa Milius hit back-to-back home runs to put Tech up 8-0 after three innings. The long ball worked for the Hokies again in the fourth inning as Bennett and
Addington went yard to go up 11-0.
Meanwhile, Rosenberry kept the Highlanders off the board until they broke through with a run in the fifth inning. The freshman closed out her third win of the season by allowing just five hits and the one run.
GAME 2
Again, the Hokies got on the board in the first inning off a Bailey RBI single and a Bennett RBI double to take a 3-0 lead. The Highlanders got a run back in the top of the second with a solo home run, the only run they scored off Osborne.
Tech answered in the bottom half of the second with an RBI single from Trull to right field, which scored pinch runner Rebecca Ludowig. The Hokies then broke the game open in the third with back-to-back-to-back home runs by Bailey, Bennett and Morgan Overaitis.
Grace Chavez walked the game off in the bottom of the fifth inning with a bomb to left field and ended the game at 9-1.
GAME NOTES
Bennett hit her sixth and seventh home runs of the season Wednesday, tying her total from last season in 25 games.
Bailey and Bennett both had a team-high five RBIs in the two games. The duo is leading the team in RBIs with 20 and 17 respectively. They are the only Hokies with double-digit RBIs.
The Hokies hit four home runs in both games Wednesday and have hit 16 homers in their last three games.
Addington got her first career hit with a solo home run to left field.
