Dixie Chicks

The Chicks went back on the road for a long 4 day tourney in Virginia Beach and played really well. We had won this this tourney for the last 2 years and went back to defend our crown but came up a little short finishing 3rd with a 10-1 record. I'm still very proud of the girls as our bats were as hot as the soaring temperatures. We got great pitching and defense and impressed everyone. It's hard to believe but we only have 3 weeks left of the season and it seems like we just got started. We head back to the Beach for the ASA Atlantic Coast Showcase at Princess Anne on Friday. Nice job ladies, lets play hard again this weekend. Stats are posted, as always GO CHICKS!!!

The Chicks took their first of many road trips for the Summer with a trip to New Jersey for Thursday and Friday games in the Newtown Rock Showcase and finished Saturday and Sunday in Sterling with USSSA State Championship. We started a little sluggish going 2-2 and battling rain both days in New Jersey but went to Sterling and went 6-0 and claimed the State Championship. I knew we would start playing better as soon as we got some games under our belt. We had numerous stars this week and expect we will have more next week at the Beach. We have lots of ball coming up as we are on the field most of the month of July. Thanks for a great week of ball, lets keep it rolling next week. See you at the Beach on Thursday, as always GO CHICKS!!! Stats are posted.

The Chicks finally got some sunny weather and started the season this weekend in State Championship here in Richmond. We didn't play our best and started the season with a 4-3 record and a seventh place finish. That's not our typical performance and I expect to get better quickly. We have a weekend off then we go full throttle the rest of the Summer. We are having practice next Sunday at 4:30 Midlothian High School to get ready for Newtown Rock Showcase starting Thursday, June 27th. Stats are posted. As always, GO CHICKS !!!

Another Chick has signed, Jennibeth Burge will continue her softball career next fall at Charleston Southern University in Charleston, SC. Charleston Southern is a Division 1 school in the Big South Conference. JB is currently a senior at Southern Lee High School in Sanford, NC . All the Chicks wish her well and I'm sure she will make us all proud. As always, GO CHICKS !!!

CLERMONT, Fla. - Behind a no-hitter from freshman Kelly Heinz, the Virginia Tech softball team beat Southern Illinois 9-0 in six innings Sunday to wrap up the Dot Richardson National Collegiate Softball Invitational at the National Training Center.

Heinz, from Mechanicsville, Va., became the first Tech player in program history to throw a no-hitter in her first collegiate start. She stuck out a career-high 11 batters and walked three in the victory. She needed only 97 pitches in the game, tossing 64 for strikes. The game was shortened to six innings because of the Mercy Rule (eight runs or more ahead after five innings).

After threatening early on, Tech finally got on the board in the second inning when Lauren Gaskill beat out an infield single by sliding head first into first base to allow pinch runner Nina Compton to score. In the third inning, Logan Spaw put down a squeeze bunt to score Courtney Liddle, and later in the inning, Kat Banks drove in Betty Rose and Spaw with a single up the middle.

In the sixth inning, Banks scored on a fielding error and then Bkaye Smith scored on another error to make it 6-0. Liddle drove in Gaskill with a single to left field and then Rose plated Jessica McNamara with a ground out. Tech’s final run came when Spaw doubled to the gap to drive in Liddle.

The sixth inning had some drama as Heinz walked a batter and then a ball was hit in the 5-6 hole, but McNamara, playing shortstop, went and got it and got the close out at second base. The game ended with Kat Banks making a nice sliding catch on a tailing line drive to right field to preserve the no-hitter.

Tech pounded out 11 hits in the shortened game, led by two from Gaskill, Spaw, Dani Anderson and Banks. Liddle, Rose and Smith also had one.

Heinz threw 12.2 innings this weekend, picking up a win and a save. She didn’t allow a run, walked four and struck out 21. She pitched the final 4.2 innings against Fordham Saturday night, not allowing a hit, and got the last two outs of the Chattanooga win, so she’s thrown 11.1 straight innings without allowing a hit.

Tech (4-1) will be back in action next weekend, travelling to Troy, Ala., for the Troy Subway Invitational featuring Evansville, North Florida, Troy and Tech. The Hokies will open on Friday at 11 a.m. against North Florida.