The spring sports season is finally in full effect as all of the teams are in action. The winter sports are wrapping up and after a disappointing season on the court for both the men and women’s basketball teams, a lot of optimism is being put in the spring athletic programs. This weekend, several teams were in action including the home opener for the Hokies baseball team. Here is a look at a quick recap of all of this weekend’s action in Virginia Tech spring athletics:
Softball
The Hokies got off to a fast start this season at 6-0 but have struggled a bit since. This past weekend the team was in Kissimmee, Florida for the Citrus Classic at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports. In their opening game on Friday, Tech defeated Forham 5-1. Jasmin Harrell had another stout performance on the moun going the full nine innings with one run and just six hits.
The second matchup on Friday was against Hofstra. The Hokies fell behind early and were doomed by a seven run fourth inning for the Pride in the 10-0 loss. The team was unable to register a hit throughout the game and freshman pitcher Bailey Liddle was only able to last 2.1 innings.
Saturday was much better for Tech as it started with a 1-0 shutout victory over Pittsburgh. Harrell dominated the mound allowing just three hits and striking out seven. The only run of the game came from junior Courtney Liddle who knocked a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Next, the Hokies faced LIU-Brooklyn and came away with a 5-2 victory. Bailey Liddle was much improved from her performance on Friday and went 5.1 innings while only allowing two hits. Lauren Gaskill and Kelsey Mericka each had two hits for the Hokies.
For the final game of the weekend, star pitcher Jasmin Harell was back in the mound for the third time. The team responded well and knocked off Notre Dame on Sunday 3-0. Harrell only allowed four hits in her second consecutive shutout. Gaskill and Kylie McGoldrick both had two hits for the Hokies.
The team is now 13-7 overall on the season and will next travel to Tampa for an exhibition game with the Dutch National Team. Following that, the team will play in the USF Under Armour Invitational. The team will take on USF as well as Penn State.
Baseball
The brand new English Field turf was put to use for the first time this weekend as the Virginia Tech baseball team opened their home schedule in a four-game series with Yale. On Saturday, the Hokies opened up the series with a dominating 15-3 victory. Six Tech players had two hits apiece while junior Joe Mantiply pitched seven strong innings, allowing just five hits and three runs for his second win of the season.
In the second game of the double header, Tech once again dominated in a 12-2 victory. Marc Zechinno went six innings while allowing two runs. Johnny Morale, Chad Morgan, and Kyle Wernicki all had multiple hits for the Hokies.
On Sunday, the team began the day with a walk-off 6-5 victory. Andrew Rash, who has struggled up to this point despite high expectations, hit a walk-off homerun in the bottom of the ninth. It was Rash’s second home run of the season.
Tech completed the four game sweep with arguably their best performance of the weekend in a 17-0 victory that included thirteen hits. Tyler Horan and Mark Zagunis both had a pair of RBI for the Hokies. Colin O’Keefe and Eddie Campbell combined together to pitch a five-hit shutout.
The team is now 12-2 on the season and has been extremely impressive. They will have a tall task ahead though as they travel to rival Virginia for their next series this upcoming weekend. The first game of the series is Friday and will begin at 5 p.m.
Lacrosse
The Hokies women’s lacrosse team defeated UC Davis 18-14 on Saturday in Blacksburg. Morgan Widlake and Meg Bartley each had four goals for the Hokies offense. Tech improved to 3-2 on the season. The team will next be in action on Wednesday at home when they host American at 1 p.m.
Men’s Tennis
The men’s tennis began the weekend ranked No. 40 in the country. On Saturday, they opened up their play with a tough 4-3 loss to Minnesota. On Sunday, however, the team swept St. Bonaventure while rolling to a 7-0 victory. For the final match of the weekend, the Hokies posted another sweep as they defeated in-state school James Madison 7-0. Tech is now 6-4 on the season and will take on USC in Los Angeles, California next weekend.
Women’s Tennis
The women’s tennis team came up short as well this weekend in their only match as they lost to Marshall on Sunday. On the road, the Hokies came up short 4-3 despite four singles going to three sets. Tech then opened up ACC play today with a 4-3 victory over Maryland. The Hokies are now 8-5 on the year. Tech will next be in action next weekend at Florida Gulf Coast.