TEMPE, Ariz. — BYU softball saw its NCAA Tournament run come to a close at Farrington Stadium on Saturday, falling to No. 21 Virginia Tech 11-3 by mercy rule in the Tempe Regional Final.
Game Highlights:
- Huntyr Ava’s three-run home run in the fifth inning scored the Cougars’ first runs of the game
Player Highlights:
- Huntyr Ava: 2-3, 1 R, 3 RBI
- Violet Zavodnik: 1-3, 1 R
- Erin Miklus: 1-2, 1 R
The Hokies took a 2-0 first inning lead, reaching base twice on errors and then getting two singles, one that scored a runner and another that scored due to an obstruction call.
Virginia Tech tacked on another run in the second, scoring after a leadoff double and an error on a bunt to go ahead 3-0. Four runs in the third, including a solo homer and two-run shot then made it 7-0.
BYU had runners on first and second with no outs in the fourth, but three consecutive strikeouts ended a possible Cougar rally.
Another solo home run in the fourth gave the Hokies an 8-0 lead before the Cougar bats got going in the fifth. Erin Miklus singled and Violet Zavodnik doubled to put two Cougars in scoring position with two outs. Huntyr Ava delivered a three-run blast over the left field fence and it was 8-3, Hokies.
Virginia Tech took all three runs back in their half of the fifth, however, belting a triple to beat the shift, launching a two-run homer and then a solo home run to end the game on the NCAA’s eight-run mercy rule, 11-3 and advance to the Super Regional.
With the loss, the Cougars finish the season with a 38-17 record, going 2-2 in the Tempe Regional.