BLACKSBURG – After taking the series at Georgia Tech, the Virginia Tech softball team (14-15) returns home to host a series doubleheaders beginning on Wednesday against Liberty (16-14) at 5 p.m. Tech will face Mercer (16-19) and Hampton (11-16) at 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Last time out: Virginia Tech’s pitching staff of Maggie Tyler and Mikaela Aiken allowed a single run in three games in Atlanta last weekend. Tyler tossed two one-hit games while Aiken threw 6.0 clean innings in the series finale. Between the pair, the Hokies staff tossed 22 strikeouts with eight hits in three games. Lauren Duff led the Hokies offense, extending her hitting streak to 10 games, including a 3-for-4 outing on Saturday morning. Virginia Tech took the first two games, 1-0 and 5-0 before falling short in the final game 1-0 with a solo shot in the seventh inning.
ACC Pitcher of the Week: After her first no-hitter last weekend against Pitt, Maggie Tyler threw a pair of complete-game, one-hit shutouts on Friday night and Saturday morning to earn her the ACC's Pitcher of the Week honor. Tyler threw 12 and nine strikeouts on Friday and Saturday, respectively, with a single hit in each. She tossed two complete game shutouts before a solo shot in her third appearance of the weekend to end her shutout line.
Tyler's no-no: Maggie Tyler threw her first no-hitter against Boston College, a lead off-walk away from a perfect game. The senior faced 22 batters in 7.0 innings, striking out six. Tyler's no-hitter was the first seven-inning no-hitter since May 10, 2008 when current pitching coach, Angela Tincher-O'Brien tossed the 2-0 victory over Florida State. Both Mikaela Aiken and Kelly Heinz hurled five-inning no-hitters in 2015 over Seton Hall and Longwood, respectively. Friday marked Tech's 37 no-hitter in program history.
Four Freshmen: Caitlyn Nolan, Lauren Duff, Olivia Lattin, and Emma Strouth lead the Hokies in batting average, all batting above .289. Nolan and Duff lead the group with .362 and .354 averages, respectively. Duff extended her hitting streak to 10 games while slugging Tech's first triple of the season against BC.
Freshmen in the field: Six of Virginia Tech’s seven freshmen were in the starting lineup versus Ohio and Radford due to injuries. Since that point, five remain in the Hokies' starting lineup. Olivia Lattin led off at second with Caitlyn Nolan at short, Lauren Duff catching, Emma Strouth and Kinsey Johnson in the outfield, and Chelsea Whitcomb pitching/at third for the Hokies.
Versus the Flames: The Hokies lead the series against the Flames, 33-12 since their first meeting in 1996. Tech and Liberty split a pair of contests in 2015. However, the Hokies have won 16 of the last 17 meetings since 2007.
Versus the Bears: Tech won the only meeting againt Mercer with an 8-0 victory in 2011. The run-rule went into effect in the sixth inning.
Versus the Pirates: Tech holds a 3-1 advantage over Hampton since first meeting in 1996. The Hokies and Pirates played a pair of doubleheaders, splitting the first meeting before sweeping the second in 2010.
Up Next: The Hokies will wrap up their eight-game home-stand on Wednesday, April 6 with a doubleheader versus James Madison at 5 p.m.
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