Virginia Tech falls to Kentucky in NCAA softball regional final

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Virginia Tech softball team’s season came to an end on Sunday as the Hokies fell 1-0 to host No. 17 Kentucky in the championship game of the NCAA Lexington Regional.

Kentucky’s 6-2 win over Virginia Tech on Saturday put the Hokies in a must-win game against Marshall. Tech edged Marshall 3-2 in 13 innings to lock up a spot against the Wildcats on Sunday.

Needing to win a pair of games in order to advance to the NCAA Super Regionals, Virginia Tech defeated Kentucky 2-0 in the first game to force a must-win for either team in game two.

Tech scored both of its runs in the fifth inning of game one as Lauren Gaskill plated Betty Rose with a double and a bases-loaded walk to Kylie McGoldrick brought Gaskill across.

Kelly Heinz held the Wildcats in check, giving up three hits and five walks over seven innings. Kelsey Nunley, who had one-hit Virginia Tech in Kentucky’s win on Saturday, gave up two runs on six hits and two walks over seven innings.

“We did what we needed to do to compete and try to move on and obviously I thought coming into this regional we matched up well with Kentucky,” Virginia Tech head coach Scot Thomas said in a post game news conference. “I think we proved that today. Hats off to them, hats off to my team for battling all last night and battling all day today. I am proud of our bunch for sure.”

In game two, Lauren Cumbess started in the circle for Kentucky, but Nunley came on in relief with the bases loaded and two outs in the fourth inning. Logan Spaw popped out to short to end the threat with no damage done.

In top half of the fifth inning, Sylver Samuel reached on a dropped fly ball and advanced to third after a pair of outs. Cumbess singled to first base to bring Samuel home and give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.

Tech had runners on first and second in the sixth inning, but couldn’t get the tying run across. In the seventh inning, a pop out to short with a runner on first ended the game and sent Kentucky to the Super Regionals for only the second time in school history.

Less than 24 hours after pitching the full 13 frames in the Hokies’ win over Marshall, senior Jasmin Harrell went the full seven innings in her final game for Virginia Tech. Harrell gave up eight hits and two walks over seven innings, while striking out two.

Nunley picked up the win, her 27th of the season, with 3 1⁄3 innings of relief. Nunley held the Hokies to three hits and a walk.

Virginia Tech finished the season 38-21 overall and 9-11 in the ACC.

Va. Tech 000 020 0 — 2 6 0

Kentucky 000 000 0 — 0 3 0

Heinz and Rose. Nunley and Joiner. W — Heinz. L — Nunley.

Kentucky 000 010 0 — 1 8 0

Va. Tech 000 000 0 — 0 5 1

Cumbess, Nunley (4) and Joiner. Harrell and Rose. W — Nunley. L — Harrell.

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