Hokies host Marshall for senior weekend at TSP

Birle, Richardson and Gonzalez will be honored in their final home series

April 20, 2017

BLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech softball team returns to Tech Softball Park this weekend where they will take on Marshall (34-7) at 7 p.m. on Friday and at noon for a doubleheader on Saturday. A pregame ceremony recognizing three Hokies playing in their final home series will take place before Friday's game at 6:45 p.m.

Live stats for all three games will be available on HokieSports.com. With poor weather in the forecast, fans can stay up to date by following @VT_Softball on Twitter or logging onto HokieSports.com. Fans must also be prepared for crowds on Saturday as the Virginia Tech football team’s spring game is set to kick off at 2:30 p.m. Throwing out the first pitch before Friday's game will be Virginia Tech softball alumna and United States rugby Olympian Carmen Farmer.

The Hokies (17-29) dropped a midweek contest at Radford on Wednesday, their third game in two days, after defeating Liberty, 3-2, in the second game of a doubleheader in Lynchburg on Tuesday. The win over the Flames, one of the hottest teams in the country, snapped their 13-game win streak.

Elizabeth Birle, Aysha Richardson and Vanessa Gonzalez will all be recognized on Saturday before their final home series at Tech Softball Park. Birle has played a valuable role in the pitcher’s circle this season while Gonzalez will leave Blacksburg with her name in the top 10 all-time in home runs and walks. Before suffering an injury to her eye that has kept her out indefinitely, Richardson was having a career year that included a .373 batting average, the third highest in school history.

The Hokies lead the all-time series with Marshall, 8-4, and are 4-0 against the Thundering Herd at Tech Softball park. The two teams last met in the 2013 NCAA Regional in Lexington when the Hokies won a marathon 13-inning contest, 3-2. The game still stands as the second-longest in program history.

HOKIES SNAP LIBERTY’S STREAK
• The Hokies handed Liberty their first loss in 13 games on Tuesday as they took the nightcap in their midweek doubleheader with the Flames in Lynchburg.
• One of the hottest teams in the nation entering the week, Liberty’s 13-game win streak was the longest in school history.
• Tech’s 1-0 lead in the fourth inning was the first time the Flames had trailed in 66 innings.
• Freshman Carrie Eberle recorded a six-out save to seal the win and Taylor Barnes earned the win after going 5.0 innings and allowing only two runs.

DAVENPORT JOINS EXCLSIVE CLUB
• In the doubleheader against Louisville last weekend, junior Breanna Davenport went 6-for-7 and tied a school record after going 5-for-5 in the first game.
• She is one of only three players in program history to record five hits in a game and she was the first player since 2006 to accomplish the feat.

For updates on Virginia Tech softball, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_Softball