The #8 Virginia Tech Softball Team split a pair of games on Day One of the Bama Bash, falling 1-0 to #2 Alabama in the first game of the day before bouncing back to stun Middle Tennessee State 3-2 on Bre Peck’s two-out walk off home run in the bottom of the 7th inning.

The Alabama game was the showdown that everyone anticipated with Alabama’s Montana Fouts squaring off against the Hokies’ Keely Rochard and the two All-Americans didn’t disappoint. Both hurlers struck out 11 batters with Fouts holding the Hokies to three hits and Rochard limiting the Crimson Tide just two.

The difference came down to walks and an untimely Hokie error in the second inning that led to the lone run of the game. The Hokies never got more than a single baserunner in any inning and never advanced a runner to second base. But the Hokies showed once again that they could hang with the nation’s elite. They will get another chance at the Tide today.

“The game against Alabama felt like a Super Regional game,” said Hokies Coach Pete D’Amour. “Our All American threw well enough to win, but we just couldn’t get a barrel on their All American. That’s the way it goes. We belong.”

The Hokies had no time to regroup before taking on Middle Tennessee, who had beaten Evansville earlier in the day, and it showed.

Mackenzie Osborne got the start for the Hokies and pitched well until her third time through the Blue Raider lineup. She had thrown a two-hitter at that point.

But Middle Tennessee struck for two runs in the 6th inning, and the Hokies found themselves trailing 2-0 entering the bottom of the 7th. It looked like Alabama might “beat the Hokies twice.”

But the Hokies found themselves with a ray of hope when Morgan Overaitis led off the inning with a walk. The next two hitters made outs and the Hokies found themselves down to their last strike when Emma Ritter launched a rocket into right center field for a triple to make it 2-1.

Peck then stepped to the plate and worked the count to 2-2 before blasting a pitch over the right field fence to give the Hokies the win (video linked below).

“We found a way to win game 2,” said D’Amour. “That’s what good teams do. Ozzy threw ok and Emma (Lemley) closed the door. I’m happy for Bre. The inning started with Morgan’s at bat and Emma’s triple was huge. Hopefully we can continue to string together good at bats tomorrow.”

Speaking of Lemley, the freshman entered the game after Osborne gave up the two runs in the 6th and stopped the bleeding. She pitched 1.2 innings, didn’t surrender a hit, and struck out 5 batters.

The Hokies will be back in action on Saturday, taking on Evansville (5-2) at noon followed by a rematch with Alabama at 2:30.