May 29, 2008

Hokies Fall 1-0 to Texas A&M Hokies to face Florida on Saturday

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - Despite limiting Texas A&M to two hits - its lowest total of the season - the Virginia Tech softball team fell 1-0 to the Aggies in its opening game of the Women's College World Series on Thursday at Hall of Fame Stadium.

One of Texas A&M's (55-7) two hits came in the sixth inning, and combined with a timely Hokie error, was enough to secure the game's only run. The Aggies' Rhiannon Kliesing delivered a one-out base knock to right center field before being lifted for pinch runner Andrea Tovar, who moved to second on a sac bunt by Natalie Villareal. Megan Gibson followed with grounder to Tech third baseman Charisse Mariconda, who had to hurry on the play and ended up making an errant throw that got past first baseman Beth Walker. Tovar scrambled home to score and give the Aggies what proved to be the game-winning tally.

Offensively for Tech, Mariconda accounted for two of the Hokies' five hits and reached base one other time on a Texas A&M error. Catcher Kelsey Hoffman, center fielder Jessica Everhart and left fielder Caroline Stolle all each recorded a hit for the Hokies (49-18), but none of Tech's runners got past second base in the game.

Tech's showdown with the Aggies started a little late after a marathon contest between Florida and Louisiana-Lafayette that featured 15 hits, but this one was all about the pitchers and Player of the Year candidates - the Hokies' Angela Tincher and the Aggies' Megan Gibson.

Both struck out nine batters apiece and neither issued a walk. Gibson allowed five hits and Tincher hit one batter, but neither ace allowed an earned run in a contest that could've went either way.

Before the deciding bottom of the sixth, Tincher and the Hokies were only tested once, escaping a scare in the bottom of the fourth inning. After Villareal ended Tincher's no-hit bid with a leadoff single through the right side, she moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Gibson and to third on a passed ball. Tincher countered with some 70-mph heat, though, to strike out the next two batters and end the threat.

Louisiana-Lafayette upset Florida 3-2 in the World Series' first game of the day, so the Hokies will try to stave off elimination against the top-seeded Gators on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT (noon ET). That contest will be broadcast by ESPN.