Virginia Tech softball: Hokies fall to UCLA, ending outstanding season

After upsetting the No. 2 UCLA Bruins in the NCAA Super Regional opening game on Thursday night in Los Angeles, the Virginia Tech softball team dropped the next two games, ending its season.

The Bruins defeated the Hokies, 6-0, on Saturday. It was the second consecutive shutout by UCLA, who defeated the Hokies, 2-0, on Friday night in Game 2.

The Hokies finish their season with a record of 37-15, falling just one win short of their second appearance in the Women’s College World Series in school history.

Junior pitcher Keely Rochard was outstanding throughout the series; however, she finally wore down, allowing six runs in four innings of VT’s Game 3 loss. Rochard had made every pitch for the Hokies in this series until the top of the fifth inning.

Rochard allowed five hits, six runs, four earned, with two strikeouts in Game 3. In the first two games, Rochard allowed a total of seven hits and four runs.

Rochard would end up throwing almost 600 pitches in Tech’s six games in the postseason. Nevertheless, the ACC pitcher of the year will return next year as one of the top players in the NCAA.

Congratulations to the Hokies on a fantastic and fun ride. This team is young and is set up to be a force in the coming years.