Hokies Continue to Stack Wins on the Softball Diamond

Another week, and some more ranked wins for Pete D'Amour's squad as the Hokies sweep highly ranked Stanford before winning their second midweek clash of the season with Liberty.

In the series’ opening game, the Hokies scraped out a one run win, which would end up setting a trend on the weekend. Emma Lemley got the start and cruised through six clean innings before the last inning went to Sophie Kleiman. Kleiman, though, struggled and gave up a run before Lemley was put back in the circle to get the final out. At the plate, the Hokies jumped on Stanford starter Zoe Prystajko, taking her out of the game after 3.1 innings of work where she gave up three runs. Jordan Lynch went 2-2, having half of the Hokies game one hits. Zoe Yaeger’s three run homer gave the Hokies the push that they needed to triumph over Stanford in game one.

In the second game against the Cardinals, the Hokies once again eked out a one run win, 8-7. Emma Mazzarone got the start and struggled quite a bit, giving up five runs in as many innings. Sophie Kleiman threw a scoreless inning, recording the game’s win before Emma Lemley recorded the three out save to win it. At the plate, the Hokies found much more success offensively compared to Friday. In this one, the Hokies tallied seven hits, including Rachel Castine’s two run home run in the sixth that gave the Hokies some much needed insurance runs. 

In the weekend’s final game, the Hokies, once again, squeaked out a one run 6-5 win to sweep the series. Cassie Grizzard got the start, going 2.1 innings long and giving up two earned runs before giving the ball to Emma Lemley, who pitched two scoreless innings. Emma Mazzarone, though, pitched 2.2 scoreless to end the game and get the win. At the plate, the Hokies had no trouble with the Stanford starter, Alyssa Houston, getting three runs across on her before she was pulled after 3.1 innings of work. The Hokies also found success against the reliever Kylie Chung, who gave up three runs in 2.1 innings of work. The biggest part of the Hokies success at the plate was Cori McMillan, who hit the walkoff home run to complete the weekend sweep against ranked Stanford.

In the midweek, the Hokies invited a ranked Liberty team to TSP for the fourth consecutive matchup and win against a ranked opponent. Emma Lemley got the start in the circle for the Hokies, where she shined, pitching seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts on her way to her 13th win of the season. Offensively, Cori McMillan jumped on Liberty starter right away with a leadoff home run. Bre Peck later singled in the first inning to bring in another run, making it 2-0 in the first, forcing Liberty to go to the pen. Paige Bachman was the replacement for Liberty, she pitched three innings and gave up as many runs, all on a Jordan Lynch three run homer that made it 5-0. Kaylan Yoder was the final pitcher for Liberty, she got the final six outs and gave up one run. There were a lot of stellar performances for the Hokies as they faced off against the Flames, but the Player of The Game has to go to Emma Lemley for her scoreless outing.

The Hokies showcased multiple clutch performances throughout the series, securing three consecutive one-run victories to sweep Stanford. Pitching depth played a crucial role, with Emma Lemley stepping up in key moments, while the offense delivered timely hits, including Zoe Yaeger’s three-run homer in Game One, Rachel Castine’s insurance blast in Game Two, and Cori McMillan’s walk-off in the finale. Despite some struggles on the mound, Virginia Tech’s ability to capitalize on scoring opportunities and deliver in high-pressure situations defined their week long success.