Softball Report Week 5: Hokies Continue ACC Dominance

After starting conference play with a series sweep of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to begin the month of March, Virginia Tech Softball continued its success against the Louisville Cardinals (16-8) this past weekend. The Hokies took yet another three-game series sweep on the road to improve to an 18-3-1 record.

Game 1

The Hokies cruised to a win in their first game of Saturday’s double header as seniors Emma Ritter and Addy Greene led the offensive onslaught. Both Ritter and Greene went two for three on the day, picking up two RBIs each, and coming across for three additional runs between the two of them. Most notably however, the victory marked the 1,000th win in Virginia Tech program history, which only makes sense in a season of big expectations for the Hokies.

Game 2

The Hokies picked up their second win of the day in a 10-inning battle that was capped off by a go-ahead three-run homer by Cori McMillan in the 10th.

The Hokies and Cardinals held each other to a 2-2 score through seven, with Tech junior Emma Lemley helping contain Louisville’s offense by striking out 11 batters over just 4.2 innings. Nonetheless, McMillan’s clutch dinger to put the Hokies up three late in the game was what Tech needed to end the day on a high note.

Game 3

Every run meant more for the Gobblers, as they finished up the weekend strong with a 4-3 win. Greene and Ritter accounted for three of the four runs the team scored on Sunday, as the Hokies were able to maintain a lead over the Cardinals the entire game.

Other notable performances included those of senior Maija Louko, who went 3-3 on the day and came across for one of the team’s runs, and freshman pitcher Emma Mazzarone, who got the win out of the bullpen for the maroon and orange.

Midweek Loss vs Charlotte

The Hokies looked to continue their success into the week in a single-game contest on the road against the 12-9 UNC-Charlotte 49ers. Even with home runs from both Emma Ritter and fellow senior Cameron Fagan, Tech came up short by a healthy four-run margin. After moving up to #12 in the Top 25 rankings with their Louisville sweep, the loss came as the Hokies’ first in their past nine games.

The Week Ahead

The Hokies look to bounce back from their Wednesday loss this weekend back home at Tech Softball Park. They’ll take on the Pittsburgh Panthers (8-15) starting on Friday in their third ACC series of the season. Virginia Tech will look to build upon their strong start to the season and stay in the Top 25 conversation.