Softball: Hoos come up short in rubber match with No. 13 Hokies, 7-0

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

The Virginia softball team dropped the series finale with No. 13 Virginia Tech on Saturday by a score of 7-0 to close out the Smithfield Commonwealth Clash at Palmer Park.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Virginia Tech got on the board in the fourth inning, using a single and a ground-rule double to put two in scoring position before a sac fly brought the first run home. A strikeout put two outs on the board before a double to right center extended the lead to 2-0 for the Hokies. A single to center scored the third run before the Hoos would get out of the inning.

A three-run home run in the fifth inning took the lead out to 6-0 for the visiting team before a solo home run in the seventh inning would set the final 7-0 margin of victory.

Courtney Layne (2-1) took the loss as she allowed three runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 3.2 innings of work.

Emma Lemley (19-3) picked up the win as she allowed the two hits with a walk and five strikeouts through the 7.0 innings pitched.

NOTES

• Courtney Layne made her second start of the season with the start against the Hokies.
• Virginia (26-13, 7-8 ACC) used three pitchers on the afternoon as Jenny Bressler and Savanah Henley also saw time in the circle.
• The game between the Hoos and the Hokies (31-9, 11-4) was played in front of a crowd of 1,201 fans.

FROM HEAD COACH JOANNA HARDIN

“I thought we competed hard all weekend. It’s a deep rivalry and both sides worked really hard on the weekend. Today we came up a bit short and didn’t make as many adjustments as we needed to offensively early enough. We left a few pitches up against a great offense. We learned a lot. Our defense came in and hung in there all weekend. We’ll need them down the stretch.”

THE SMITHFIELD COMMONWEALTH CLASH

• The rivalry between Virginia Athletics and Virginia Tech Athletics has a long and storied history dating back more than 125 years within the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Cavaliers and Hokies first faced off on the gridiron in Charlottesville in 1895. First coined the Commonwealth Clash during the 2014-2015 season, the rivalry has expanded and intensified across the 22 sports the two institutions face off in head-to-head competition.
• Following the weekend series, this season’s Commonwealth Clash is tied 8-8.

UP NEXT

Virginia will return to action on Tuesday when the Cavaliers host Liberty. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. at Palmer Park.