Virginia Battles To Extra Innings With No. 13 Virginia Tech

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Cavaliers hit three residence runs and battled into additional innings on Thursday (April 6) as Virginia (25-12, 6-7 ACC) fell to No. 13 Virginia Tech (30-8, 10-3 ACC) by a rating of 9-8 in eight innings at Palmer Park.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The groups traded residence runs within the first inning with Virginia Tech’s Bre Peck hitting a three-run shot within the prime of the inning earlier than Jade Hylton opened the house half with a solo shot of her personal.

Virginia Tech bought the run again with an RBI single from Cameron Fagan within the second earlier than including a solo residence run within the fifth from Kelsey Bennett.

The Cavaliers then put collectively a four-run inning within the backside of the fifth to tie the sport. With two on, a fielding error at second on a fielder’s alternative allowed the primary run to attain. Pinch hitter Tori Gilbert then blasted a three-run shot to left heart and tied the sport at 5.

Virginia Tech pulled again in entrance within the eighth inning, plating 4 runs earlier than the Hoos would get out of the inning. Shelby Barbee hit a three-run residence run within the backside of the eight to chop the result in 9-8 earlier than the Hokies would shut out the sport.

Jenny Bressler (7-2) took the loss in reduction, permitting 4 runs on 4 hits with two walks and a strikeout in 1.0 inning of labor. Bressler entered within the seventh with two on earlier than the Cavaliers turned a double play and he or she struck out the ultimate batter of the inning.

Emma Lemley (18-3) picked up the win, permitting the eight runs  – seven of them earned – on 9 hits. She walked two and struck out eight on the afternoon.

NOTES ON THE GAME

• Jade Hylton hit her team-leading ninth residence run of the season to open the primary for the Cavaliers.
• Tori Gilbert hit her seventh residence run of the season and now has 31 residence runs for her profession.
• Shelby Barbee’s residence run within the eighth inning was her first of the season.
• It was the tenth multiple-home run sport of the season for the Cavaliers.

FROM HEAD COACH JOANNA HARDIN
“What else do you count on in an in-state rivalry and nice groups? I’m actually happy with our group. We made changes all through the sport and bought aggressive swings off. Shelby Barbee and Tori Gilbert got here off the bench and hit bombs to maintain us in it. What a sport. I do know our pitching workers has it in them to return again the remainder of the weekend and get after it.

“We respect one another. This can be a aggressive sequence and what the sequence needs to be. I count on nothing much less the remainder of the weekend. It’s going to be enjoyable. It’s going to be thrilling. If you happen to weren’t planning on popping out to Palmer Park, you’ll want to come on out Friday and Saturday after which get pleasure from your Easter Sunday.”

ON DECK FOR THE HOOS
Virginia and Virginia Tech proceed the Smithfield Commonwealth Conflict on Friday (April 7). First pitch is about for five p.m. at Palmer Park.

THE SMITHFIELD COMMONWEALTH CLASH

• The rivalry between Virginia Athletics and Virginia Tech Athletics has an extended and storied historical past relationship again greater than 125 years inside the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Cavaliers and Hokies first confronted off on the gridiron in Charlottesville in 1895. First coined the Commonwealth Conflict throughout the 2014-2015 season, the rivalry has expanded and intensified throughout the 22 sports activities the 2 establishments face off in head-to-head competitors.
• The Cavaliers picked up one level with the victory immediately and lead this 12 months’s Conflict 8-7.