No. 4 / No. 5 Virginia Tech Hokies Softball Goes 2-1 against No. 22 / No. 20 UCF

This past week the No. 4 (USA Today / NFCA Coaches Poll) / No. 5 (ESPN / USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll) Virginia Tech Hokies traveled down to Orlando, Florida to face the No. 22 / No. 20 Central Florida Knights.

During the first match of the three-game series, senior pitcher, Keely Rochard, pitched her first no-hitter of the season, striking out 14 UCF players on the way to VT’s 1-0 victory. During the second game, freshmen Emma Lemley, only allowed a single UCF hit and struck out 12 Knights, on the way to another Hokies’ shutout, winning 7-0. The final game of the series was a hard-fought battle that found Lemley relieving Rochard after four innings. The game was pushed into extra innings after regulation expired with the game tied 4-4. At the bottom of the 11^th inning, UCF’s Doherty hit Cody in for the game-winning run.

For the second time this season Rochard was named ACC Pitcher of the Week. Keely is currently first in the ACC and seventh in the NCAA for hits allowed in regulation (3.3) and she is also first in the ACC and sixth in the NCAA in strikeouts (12.4).

The Hokies are now 27-4 overall and 11-0 in conference.

Virginia Tech’s trials in Florida continue when they face off against the No. 2 / No. 3 Florida State Seminoles in Tallahassee, during a three-game series that spans the weekend. First pitch is tomorrow, 8 April, at 6 PM eastern!

GO HOKIES!!!