BLACKSBURG, Va.- Appalachian State University softball (22-21, 13-6 SoCon) committed five costly errors in two games to allow Virginia Tech (37-19, 9-12 ACC) to snatch both games, 8-0 in five innings and 7-3 at Tech Softball Park on Thursday night.
Senior Katie Boyd led off the first game with a walk and stole second and represented the only Mountaineer to reach base in the game until senior Hannah Dow singled back up the middle in the top of the fifth inning.
Neither managed to cross home plate as the Apps were shutout by VT's Jasmine Harrell in five innings. Harrell struck out seven to improve to 18-9 on the season. Junior Caitlin Wainright (5-5) was charged with the loss in her seventh complete game of the season.
In the second contest, the Hokies scored two in the first inning and one in the second to go up 3-0, before the Mountaineers recorded their first run of the doubleheader in the top of the fourth.
Junior Megan Rembielak started off the fourth with a single to shortstop and stole second during sophomore Meghan Smith's at bat before she went down swinging. Sophomore Allie Cashion followed up with a hard single to right center, allowing Rembielak to score. But senior Morgan Price lined out to the pitcher and Cashion was thrown out at first base for an inning-ending double play.
The Hokies pushed three more runs across home in its half of the fourth due largely to two miscues by Rembielak at second base, giving VT a 6-1 advantage.
The Hokies added one more in the bottom of sixth to go up 7-1, but in the top of the seventh, ASU did not go away quietly.
Smith started off the final stanza by singling to right field. Cashion reached on a fielding error by VT's third base Alicia Field, putting Mountaineers on first and second. Price grounded out to Kenzie Roark in the circle, but Dow dropped in a single right on the right field line, knocking in Smith and advancing Cashion to third. Sophomore Sheridan Phillips hit a deep single to the back of shortstop, pushing across Cashion, cutting into the Hokie lead and bringing the score to 7-3. Junior Lindsay Whitlock grounded into a double play in the next at bat to end the Mountaineer rally and the game.
Sophomore Louise Gibson (5-7) went the distance for ASU, but recorded the loss. Roark (17-9) picked up the win for VT.
The Mountaineers will regroup and close out the regular season against Furman in a three-game series starting at 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon at Swyassink/Lloyd Family Stadium.
