Softball Falls to UMass

As I watch the Atlantic 10 non-revenue sports outcomes (forgive me, but I'm not quite to the point where I can call them "Olympic" sports), I notice that the power schools in the conference are GW, Temple, UMass, and Tech.  Those four schools seem to be more competitive and better funded than the other, mostly smaller, schools in the conference.  In 1997-1998, out of 29 conference championships, those four schools won 23 of the 29 championships (UMass 9, Tech 8, GW 3, Temple 3).

Without knowing much about A-10 softball, I observed Tech's winning streak, which seemed to grow and grow and grow without any danger of quitting, and I wondered if there was anyone in the A-10 who could stop the Hokies.  I neglected to simply scan the softball rankings for A-10 teams in order to answer that question, and if I had, I would have noticed the name Massachusetts appearing in the Top 20, at number 17.

On Sunday, the Hokies found out just how formidable an opponent UMass can be in softball.  In a double-header, the Minutewomen (assuming they're called the same thing as their women's basketball team) took a glance at the 26-game winning streak rung up by the 52-12 Hokies, turned their noses up at it, and slapped Tech silly, hanging 3-0 and 4-1 defeats on the previously-unbeatable Hokies.

Reading the hokiesports.com article on the double-header, it's easy to dismiss the Hokie defeats as the work of one player, UMass All-American pitcher Danielle Henderson.   Indeed, Henderson was unstoppable, pitching both games and giving up just 3 hits in 14 innings.  In women's fast pitch softball, I'm starting to wonder if a team can just ride the back of one pitcher.  UMass (38-8)  has certainly been riding Henderson, who entered the weekend with a 22-2 record and a scoreless innings streak of 85.  She is now at least 24-2 (I haven't been able to verify her current record, but that's probably it).

But UMass hit Hokie pitching, too, something other teams hadn't been doing.  The Hokies had given up more than two runs just once since April 2nd, and UMass scored more than two in both games.

The sad thing is, the dual losses dropped the previously-A-10-unbeaten Hokies into second place, where they'll finish the regular season.  Before the double-header, Tech was 14-0 in the A-10, and UMass was 11-1.   Now the Minutewomen sit alone atop the A-10 with a 38-8 overall record, 13-1 in conference.  The Minutewomen also now take top honors for consecutive-game winning streak with 23.

(By the way, how UMass escaped playing 16 conference games in the 9-team A-10 is beyond me.  Perhaps they had some games rained out, the but Atlantic 10 web site doesn't show it).

All of which sets up a colossal clash between Tech and UMass during the A-10 softball championships this coming weekend (May 7-9) in Salem at the Moyer Sports Complex.  UMass and Tech are in a class by themselves in the Atlantic 10.  Only one other school, St. Joseph's, even boasts a winning record.  So look for Tech to get a chance to avenge themselves against UMass, and maybe next time around, assuming the event is double-elimination, Henderson won't be able to pitch both games.

Or maybe she will, and Tech will win anyway.

No Such Roadblocks in Other Non-revs

Elsewhere, the news this weekend was all good:

• The women's lacrosse team won the inaugural A-10 championship, beating Temple 8-7.

• The red-hot baseball team ran their record to 32-14, 15-3 in the A-10, by taking three games from Duquesne.  A quick scan of the Hokies' schedule reveals that they have won 15 of their last 17, including the last 8 in a row.  The Hokies are now in first place in the A-10 West, and Tech true freshman pitcher Jason Bush has run his record to 10-1, a Tech freshman record.

• The Tech men won the A-10 Outdoor Track championship, and the women finished second to UMass.

• The Grayson-Carroll Hokie Club chapter is having a get-together Saturday at 5:00, and Terry Strock, the director of Tech's Monogram Club, will be the featured speaker.   Why do I mention this?  Well, from what I understand, it's the G-C chapter's first event, so if that's the case, I wanted to give it a little pub here to help them get off to a good start.  If it's not the first G-C event, well then, have fun anyway, folks.

• Don't miss the new Lane Stadium "THE ROCK" T-shirts over on the Hokie Stuff page.  The T-shirts are my offering for the month of May, and I think they're pretty cool.  I hope you do, too.

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