Bats Come Alive For No. 12 Virginia Tech in 9-5 Win Over Liberty

Cameron Fagan and the Hokies scored nine runs against Liberty on Tuesday afternoon. (Virginia Tech sports photography)

On a chilly night when ace Emma Lemley didn’t have her best stuff, the batters for No. 12 Virginia Tech made sure it didn’t matter as they recorded 15 hits in a 9-5 win over Liberty. Six Tech players finished with two hits and Cameron Fagan and Addy Greene each hit two-run home runs to pace the Hokies.

“We played pretty well tonight,” Tech head coach Pete D’Amour told Tech Sideline. “Liberty is a perennial regional team, and they’ll most likely make the NCAA tournament again this year.”

The Hokies (26-6) got the scoring started Tuesday night in the third inning when a Jayme Bailey double drove in two runs and Kelsey Bennett drove in a third with a single. But a three-run home run by the Flames’ Megan Fortner tied the score in the fourth.

Greene put the Hokies back on top in the fifth with a double that scored Emma Jackson and, after a single by Bennett, Bre Peck plated Greene with a single to right field to make it 5-3.

After Liberty (18-13) cut it to one in the top of the sixth, Fagan and Greene each hit two-run blasts in the bottom of the inning to provide Lemley some cushion.

The two blasts extended Virginia Tech’s NCAA-best home run total to 63 (1.97/game).

Lemley (16-2) struck out eight while picking up her 16th complete game of the season. On the other side, the 15 hits by the Hokies were a season best. D’Amour shared that it was a result of examining the weekend’s offensive production.

“After watching film of the [Chattanooga] series, it looked like our hitters just weren’t ready to hit,” D’Amour said. “There are certain things we look at offensively that show if we were ready or not. Today, we went back to having a different frame of mind, trying to be more aggressive on strikes.

“Our pregame BP was more intentional as well. … I still subscribe to the adage that hitting is the hardest thing to do in sports. The better we prepare ourselves in practice, the better chance we have in games.”

Next up for the Hokies is a critical weekend series at home against No. 13 Duke (26-7, 8-4 ACC).

Box Score: No. 12 Virginia Tech 9, Liberty 5 

6 Responses You are logged in as Test

  1. You can’t be good only when it matters most. You have to take the same approach to all games.

    1. In 1972 your right – exhibition. Nowadays – they all matter especially given the rpi.

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