LYNCHBURG, Va. – Virginia Tech had control early and often and was seemingly cruising towards a non-conference win on Wednesday night. That’s until Liberty freshman Caroline Hudson stole the show to send the Flames to a 5-3 victory.
Hokies ace pitcher Keely Rochard was a force on the mound with a total of 11 strikeouts. It was her 12th game of the season where she’s tallied double-digit strikeouts.
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Virginia Tech’s offense did lend a helping hand early, building a 3-0 lead by the end of the third inning.
But in the bottom of the seventh with runners on the corners, Caroline Hudson proved to be the spark that the Flames needed. On a 1-1 pitch from Rochard, Hudson smoked the ball to left-center field for a three-run home run tying the game and forcing extras.
The freshman would prove to be big in the ninth inning. With one runner on base, Hudson drilled a 2-1 pitch high off the scoreboard for the 5-3 walk-off homerun victory for the Flames.
With the win, Liberty extended its win streak to 13 and head coach Dot Richardson recorded her 250th career win. This also proved to be the Flames’ first home win over a nationally ranked opponent. They were 0-7 in previous outings.
As for Virginia Tech, they have now lost 5 straight and will regroup for its final 4-game ACC series of the season against Syracuse starting on Friday.
The Hokies and Flames will meet again on May 5 in Blacksburg, in what will be Virginia Tech’s regular-season finale.