No. 23 Virginia Tech Advances to NCAA Regional Final in Athens
No. 23 Virginia Tech advanced to the NCAA Regional Final in Athens on Saturday following a loss to No. 12 Georgia and a win against Boston University.
The Hokies struggled mightily against the Bulldogs in their first game of the day, allowing four homers that accounted for seven of Georgia’s runs. The 8-3 loss in the double-elimination tournament moved Tech into the losers bracket, looking to square off with BU once again in Athens.
Virginia Tech just couldn’t string runners on base and string together subsequent hits, leaving just four Hokies stranded on the basepath throughout the game. All throughout the order, Tech put the ball in play consistently, but failed to find holes in the defense with an equal amount of consistency to the Hokies' dismay.
Just two strikeouts over the seven innings, Tech was clearly making contact, but the long balls heavily favored Georgia, something the Hokies have come to count on throughout the season. The Dawgs outnumbered Tech four to one in homers, something the NCAA leaders weren’t prepared to see.
While the first game leaned far from VT’s favor, the second game went the complete opposite direction. The 9-0 shutout was one of Tech’s most complete games to date, hits across the board in almost every capacity. Four doubles, a home run, and a slew of singles saw VT dominate offensively in a variety of ways, straying from the home run specialization we’ve seen in Blacksburg throughout the season.
Lyndsey Grein pitched another great game, going all five innings with four Ks. Grein has improved noticeably over the course of her first season with the team, developing into a solid second-option behind Emma Lemley. Having a freshman with the upside that Grein carries is sure to bring some relief to Head Coach Pete D’Amour amongst such a young pitching staff.
Virginia Tech will now prepare for a rematch with Georgia on Sunday. The Hokies will need to win two straight against the Bulldgos to advance to the Super Regionals, while Georgia needs just one win. Expect a hard-fought, win-or-go-home game on Sunday with the fate of Virginia Tech’s postseason on the line.
