Morgan State University Athletics

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Game 1

Game 2

BLACKSBURG, Va. (March 20, 2014)-The Morgan State softball team dropped both games in a non-conference doubleheader series at Virginia Tech on Thursday afternoon at Tech Softball Park. The host Hokies won the opener, 13-1 in five innings, before winning the second game, 22-2 also in five innings. It was the first-ever meetings between the two programs.
 
The Hokies improved to 15-12 with the wins, while Morgan State, which has now dropped five straight, fell to 3-9.
 
In the opener, Tech jumped all over the Bears, pounding out 16 hits in rolling to the win. Tech scored a single run in both the first and second innings before erupting for six runs in the third inning and five more in the fourth stanza. Dani Anderson led the way with three hits and four RBIs while Lauren Gaskill, Amanda Ake, Michelle Prong, Logan Spaw and Alex Barnes all had two. Toni Erwin picked up her first collegiate hit and RBI. Bailey Liddle hit her second home run of the season and Laura Wolff also picked up a hit.
 
The Lady Bears lone run came in the top of the fourth inning when Claudette Smith grounded out to shortstop, scoring Shareday Christina, who led off the inning being hit by a pitch. Christina's run would cut the deficit to 8-1, before the host Hokies produced five runs in the fourth for the victory.
 
Tech's Maggie Tyler, improved to 7-4 on the season with the win and was one out away from a no-hitter, allowing a run on a hit with seven strikeouts. That no-hitter attempt was broken up by Morgan State freshman Alyssa Blanco, who recorded the Lady Bear's lone hit of the game in the fifth inning with a single to left field.
 
The Game 1 victory marked the first time since 2010 that the Hokies recorded 15 or more hits in a game. Tech had 17 hits against Western Carolina on Feb. 19, 2010.
 
In the second game, Tech picked up where it left off, scoring 12 runs in the first inning. Kylie McGoldrick and Katey Smith both had home runs as the Hokies recorded eight hits in the inning. The 12 runs tied the school record for runs in an inning set in a 1998 game against St. Louis. Tech added five runs in both the second and third innings to account for several records, including runs in a game (22) and RBIs in a game (21).
 
Gonzalez had a monster game at the plate, going 3-for-3 with four runs scored and five RBIs. Her three doubles tied the school record for two-baggers in a game. Elizabeth Birle picked up three hits of her own - a career high - with four RBIs. McGoldrick picked up two hits and drove in five runs. Smith had two hits and drove in four runs while Kat Banks picked up a hit and tied the school record with four runs scored. Aysha Richardson picked up two hits while Kiara Ota, Jessica McNamara and Cailey Isaacs each had one. For Isaacs, it was her first career hit.
 
Like in the opener, the fourth inning would be when the Lady Bears would get on the board. This time scoring two runs in the inning. After back-to-back singles by Christina and Kimber Salvas to start the inning, Smith stepped to the plate and hit a two-run single up the middle to score both runners and make it a 22-2 game. Morgan State appeared as if it would put together a big inning, when Zina Constancia followed with a single up the middle, the fourth consecutive hit to start the inning. However, Smith would be thrown out at third for the first out. Alvarez recorded the fifth straight single by the Lady Bears in the inning, but Virginia Tech pitcher Kelly Heinz ended any further threat, by striking out the next two Morgan State batters to end the inning.
 
Heinz (8-8) earned the win for the Hokies, going four innings, allowing two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts. Birle got the final three outs, allowing a walk and giving up a hit.
 
Smith went 1-for-3 with 2RBI to lead the Lady Bears.
 
Morgan State will continue its road swing through Virginia, when it travels to Hampton this weekend to open up Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) North Division play with a three-game series against the defending division and tournament champion Lady Pirates. The series gets underway with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 22 beginning at 1 p.m. and concludes with a single game at noon on Sunday.