May 15, 2005

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The seventh-seeded Virginia Tech Hokies advanced to the ACC Softball Championship final with a 2-1 victory over the third-seeded Virginia Cavaliers Saturday evening at the Terrapin Softball Complex. The Hokies scored the game winner in the bottom of the seventh to become the lowest seeded team to ever reach the conference championship finals. Freshman pitcher Angela Tincher threw seven innings for the Hokies allowing one run on five hits. She also struck out 16 batters setting a new ACC Tournament, individual-single game record for strikeouts in a seven inning game.

Elea Crockett started things off in the fourth with a single up the middle to extend her hit streak to 11 straight games. With one out, Jenn Wynn advanced Crockett to third lacing a single to left for her second hit of the ballgame. Wynn would move into scoring position a few pitches later as she successfully stole second. Tincher would end the Cavalier threat as she struck out the next two batters to close the inning.

Cavalier pitcher Erin Horn carried a no-hitter into the fifth when Virginia Tech's Kathleen Jones hit a bloop single just over the out stretched glove of Cavalier shortstop Lindsey Preuss to break-up the bid. But Horn would answer as she induced a pair of line outs to Preuss to end the inning.

Crockett collected her second hit of the night singling up the middle for the second straight at-bat. She moved to second after a wild pitch by Tincher and advanced to third after Sara Larquier grounded out to the pitcher. The Hokies intentionally walked Wynn bringing Preuss to the plate. Preuss came through for the Cavaliers as she laid down an RBI bunt single scoring Crockett and giving Virginia the 1-0 lead.

The Hokies sparked a rally in the bottom of the sixth as right fielder Kelly Brown extended her school-record hit streak to 24-games with a double to left center. She advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Caitlin Murphy. With one out, shortstop Stephanie Narodowski hit an RBI triple down the line in right, the first three bagger of the tournament, scoring Brown from third to tie the game at 1-1.

Jones led off the Hokie seventh with a single to center field and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Caroline Stolle. With two outs, Brown hit a ground ball to Larquier who one hopped the throw to first. The ball got by first baseman Whitney Holstun scoring Jones for the game-winner.

Horn pitched well in the loss going 6.2 innings allowing just one earned run on four hits while striking out three.

The win moves Virginia Tech to 43-22 on the season. The Hokies earned a berth in the ACC Championship final where they will face top-seeded Georgia Tech at 12:00 pm on Sunday, May 15. The loss runs Virginia's record to 31-32, eliminating the Cavaliers from the 2005 ACC Softball Tournament.