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The Terrific Ten has you covered on all the best highlights from all the action across college softball on Friday!
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1. An instant ACC classic
The broadcaster described it as “the biggest series in ACC conference play history” and that might have been an understatement. Virginia Tech and Florida State’s meeting in Tallahassee pits two consensus top-5 teams against one another for the first time in ACC history. The Hokies and the Noles are two of the best teams in the nation and will play three games through the course of the weekend. What’s not to love?!
Game 1 went Virginia Tech’s way. After the Seminoles scored two runs to take an early lead on Keely Rochard, the Hokies responded with a 2-run blast from Meredith Slaw that tied the game. An 8th-inning solo home run from Slaw gave the Hokies their first lead of the game, before a wild sequence in the bottom of the inning saw Michaela Edenfield record a “little league home run”, making a lap around the bases and scoring on the back of a couple of major errors.
The ninth inning proved fruitful for Virginia Tech, with a 2-run home run by Darby Trull breaking the tie for good and Addy Greene adding an RBI single to pad the lead. Rochard threw a complete game with 14 strikeouts to her credit.
2. No asterisks here
Jocelyn Alo hit not one, not two, but three home runs on Friday against Texas Tech, accounting for much of the offense in her team’s series-opener. With the trio of longballs, Alo reached 107 for her career.
That number is important because it removes any possibility of an asterisk for even the biggest doubter of Alo’s home run record; some detractors initially made comments about Alo being able to play five seasons and break the record that was previously set by a four-year player. After Friday’s bombs, Alo has officially hit enough home runs that she would still be the all-time record holder even if her eight home runs during the abbreviated 2020 season did not exist.
3. Balint Bests Bressler
A battle of Mountain West aces went San Diego State’s way, as the Aztecs plated two runs to back up a stellar effort in the circle by Maggie Balint. The Aztecs’ ace threw a complete game, allowing just three hits and striking out ten batters. She outdueled UNLV ace Jenny Bressler, who allowed eight hits and two runs.
SDSU scored in the third inning and added an insurance run in the seventh, which provided all the offensive backing that Balint needed.
4. Eight unanswered buoys Mississippi State
With Mizzou in Starkvegas, a battle of teams in desperate need of a solid conference weekend was in store. Missouri scored on an error in the top of the first and on a wild pitch in the fourth inning, but outside of that, Friday night’s matchup was all Mississippi State. The Bulldogs scored eight unanswered runs, including a 4th-inning solo home and high-scoring efforts in the fifth and sixth innings; the Bulldogs also outhit the Tigers 11-6.
5. Home Run Derby in Fayetteville
Arkansas’ big boppers came through in their series opener against Auburn on Friday night; a game that saw six home runs between the two teams went the direction of the hosting Hogs, with Arkansas recording the 7-4 win.
Linnie Malkin hit a pair of longballs, joined in the home run party by teammates Taylor Ellsworth and Hannah Gammill, while the Hogs tacked seven runs onto Auburn pitcher Shelby Lowe. On in relief of Mary Haff in the circle for Arkansas, Chenise Delce was effective in the circle herself, throwing four innings of scoreless relief and allowing just one hit while striking out seven.