No. 13 Duke Drops No. 16 Virginia Tech in Home Series
No. 16 Virginia Tech fell to No. 13 Duke in two of three games this past weekend, their records shifting to 27-8 and 28-8 respectively.
The Hokies struggled in the first two games, managing just four hits and two runs combined. Jayme Bailey and Meredith Slaw each knocked in a home run to put the Hokies’ lone run on the board in each of the first two. Duke’s Cassidy Curd, Lillie Walker, and Jala Wright did a great job pitching to contact and relying on the defense behind them to snag the first two wins.
The final game on Sunday was a completely different story, however, as Tech’s bats got electrified following an early 5-0 lead for Duke. The Hokies put up 13 runs on nine hits, taking the W 13-8. Emma Ritter had two home runs, while Rachel Castine and Bailey each had one.
It was Duke’s errors that put the final nail in the coffin despite Tech’s active bats. The Blue Devil’s two errors led to three unearned runs on the scoreboard for the Hokies, allowing them to take an 8-5 lead in the bottom of the fifth.
Virginia Tech will continue its season this week with a doubleheader against Longwood on Tuesday at 3 p.m. The team will then travel to Charlottesville to face state rival Virginia on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
