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BLACKSBURG - Following a sweep of Pitt last weekend, the Virginia Tech softball team resumes the six-game home stand with Boston College (17-9) this weekend. The Hokies and Eagles will play Friday at 7 p.m. and a doubleheader beginning at noon on Saturday.
Last time out: The Virginia Tech (9-14) scored 30 runs on 34 hits to sweep Pitt in the ACC home opening weekend. The Hokies’ sweep of the Panther was the second in as many seasons with the last against Syracuse on March 7-8 of 2015. The Hokies recorded double-digit hits in each game of the series and are now 6-1 this season when collecting 10 or more hits. Lauren Duff and Kelsey Mericka slugged one and two home runs, respectively, accounting for seven runs between the two games. The Hokies and Panthers traded the lead on Sunday until Tech finalized the score at 12-9. Maggie Tyler picked up each of the Hokies’ three wins. The Hokies return to TSP on Saturday and Sunday to host Boston College.
Freshman Trio: Caitlyn Nolan, Chelsea Whitcomb, and Olivia Lattin lead the Hokies in batting average, all batting above .300. The group of freshmen have earned their way to the top of the order with Nolan averaging .333, Whitcomb at .317, and Lattin at .308.
Hokies Homers: Through this season, nine Hokies have accounted for 18 home runs. Olivia Lattin leads the group with four while both Vanessa Gonzalez and Kelsey Mericka have three. Mericka hit the Hokies’ first grand slam of the season on March 5 at NC State.
NCAA Leaders: Maggie Tyler’s single game high of 15 strikeouts at USC-Upstate ranks her sixth in the nation with 11 other elite pitchers this season. Casey Gerhard shares the top spot in the country with a single game high of 15 putouts. Caitlyn Nolan ranks 11th with eight assists in a single game.
ACC Leaders: Tech showed promise despite the early losses, with three Hokies on the ACC’s single-game highs list. Maggie Tyler’s 15 strikeouts at USC-Upstate put her in the top spot among ACC pitcher. Freshman Caitlyn Nolan places on two single game lists: first in walks (3) and second in assists (8) both against No. 2 Michigan on Feb. 20. Casey Gerhard ties the top spot with 15 putouts at USC-Upstate.
Versus the Eagles: The Hokies lead the series against the Eagles, 33-8 with a nearly perfect home record of 13-3. Tech has not lost a game at home against BC since 2007. The first meeting between the schools was March 26, 1999 at the Sports Plus Classic in Richmond, Virginia where the Hokies won both games. Boston College won the most recent series, taking two of three games in 2015.
Up Next: Tech hits the road next week, traveling to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech. The Hokies will play one game Friday March 25 and a doubleheader on Saturday.
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