Softball

No. 4 Virginia Tech Defeats No. 5 Notre Dame in ACC Championship Quarterfinals

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (theACC.com) – Virginia Tech pitcher Keely Rochard pitched a complete game, allowing four hits and one unearned run to lead the No. 4 seeded Hokies to a 4-1 win over No. 5 Notre Dame in the quarterfinals of the 2021 Atlantic Coast Conference Softball Championship Thursday afternoon at Ulmer Stadium.
 
The No. 20-ranked Hokies (33-12) scored four runs on seven hits and committed a pair of errors. VT was led by the designated player Alexa Milius, who went 2-for-3 with an RBI along with center fielder Darby Trull, who went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Rochard, the reigning ACC Pitcher of the Year, boosted her record to 25-7 with the win.
 
The Irish (31-13) had one run on four hits and stranded seven baserunners. ND starting pitcher Alexis Holloway went one and a third innings, giving up three runs on four hits, walking one and striking out one to take the loss and move her record to 13-7. Reliever Payton Tidd pitched four and two-thirds, allowing one run on three hits and striking out one.
 
The Hokies jumped on the Fighting Irish starter, putting a pair of runs on the board in the bottom of the first. Kelsey Brown led off with a single up the middle and scored on a triple by Cameron Fagan. Milius singled to right to score Fagan but a fielder’s choice and a pair of fly outs shut down scoring.
 
Virginia Tech added a run in the second inning when Addy Greene walked and stole second. After a VT strikeout, Trull doubled deep to left center to score Greene. Tech fouled out to the catcher and flew out to end the inning.
 
Notre Dame plated its only run in the top of the fourth when Abby Sweet reached on a throwing error and stole second. With one out, Katie Marino doubled to right to score Sweet but ND left the bases loaded as the Hokies escaped further damage.
 
Greene singled to start off the bottom of the fourth and Virginia Tech plated its final run when she scored on a triple by Emma Ritter. The Hokies hit three straight ground outs to end the inning.
 
Virginia Tech will play top seeded Clemson tomorrow’s 1 p.m. semifinal.