No. 17 Virginia Tech (12-3) travels to Lynchburg on Wednesday to face No. 24 Liberty (12-3) at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
The two teams are very similar statistically. The Hokies hit .328 as a team, average 6.3 runs per game and allow 1.8. For comparison, the Flames hit .317, score 5.9 runs per game and allow 2.7.
Tech has a slight advantage in ERA (1.72 vs. 2.05) and home runs (15 to 8), but Liberty has stolen 34 bases while the Hokies have only swiped 14.
Here are the leading hitters on the two teams:
In the circle, Liberty has pitched by committee. Five different players have started and innings have ranged from 11 ⅔ to 29 ⅓.
Meanwhile, the Hokies have leaned heavily on the trio of Emma Lemley, Emma Mazzarone and Sophie Kleiman.
Liberty’s biggest win this season was a 7-6 victory over Alabama, who the Hokies split with in Tuscaloosa last weekend.
The Flames’ three losses came during the Clearwater Invitational two weeks ago when they dropped consecutive games to then-No. 15 Missouri (5-3), Wichita State (3-2) and Auburn (2-1).
The Hokies, who hold a 42-16 lead in the series, have won the last six meetings. The last Liberty win was a 5-3 contest in 2021 in Lynchburg. Flames catcher Caroline Hudson hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game and a two-run shot in the ninth to win it.
Here is the tale of the tape:
