Hokies sweep Liberty in softball doubleheader

6:30 p.m., Tech Softball Park, Virginia Tech
Before their double-header against Liberty, the Virginia Tech softball players gathered on the field and shouted, "All for 32." It was their theme for the day.
Then they went out and swept the Flames, winning 7-2 and 9-1.
"It was amazing," first baseman Beth Walker said. "You had a lot of thoughts going through your head besides softball. ... We were not just playing for a win. We were definitely playing for 32."
But playing on this day wasn't easy for the Hokies.
"It just hits you at odd times," pitcher Angela Tincher said. "It was a little bit harder than I think I thought it was going to be. Softball is what we're used to doing, but today ... it was really hard to focus.
"I just put a little bit too much pressure on myself. I was trying to be too perfect. I just didn't want to have anything bad happen today. For a while there, I was just trying to push too hard [with] a little bit of the emotions. ... We knew how important today was."
Tincher won the first game, becoming the winningest pitcher in ACC history with her 110th career victory.
"It is a nice day to have something good happen like that," she said.
Tincher and other Hokies wore black ribbons in their hair. There had been a moment of silence before the game, and Lisa Sherman, the sister of one those killed, threw out the first pitch.
"It was really special to be able to come out and play for a purpose, play for the memory of the ones we lost," center fielder Jenna Rhodes said.
"For her to come out and remember her sister was big," Tincher said. "It kind of puts everything in perspective. We realize how lucky we are to be playing."
The teams joined hands in a prayer for the victims at the end of the doubleheader. The teams then planned to have dinner together and attend the candlelight vigil.
"It was a great opportunity for us to come down here and support Virginia Tech," LU coach Paul Wetmore said. "We're honored to be here."
The first game drew a season-high crowd of 1,030 fans.
"I just wanted to be with other Hokies, so I thought it was a good place to go," said Rebecca Slivka, in her third year at the veterinary school. "It's a really sad day. Stuff like this lets us come together. Watching the game kind of helps us think of other things and not always just be sad all day long.
"I actually enjoyed it. I had a lot of fun."
Many fans wore maroon "Hokies United" T-shirts.
"It's better than staying inside and dealing with everything," junior Annette Baez said."It was really hard to be here at this time last year. It's bad [today], but this is something ... [to go to and] not think about it."
"I think it was healing not just for us but for whoever wanted to come," Tincher said.
Submitted by Mark Berman | The Roanoke Times