Emma Mazzarone and the Hokies dropped their first game of the year on Saturday at LSU. (Virginia Tech athletics)

BATON ROUGE, La. — No. 18 Virginia Tech split a pair of games Saturday at the Purple and Gold Challenge, defeating UT-Arlington 6-0 in the morning before falling to No. 7 LSU 7-2 in the nightcap.

The loss to the Tigers snapped the Hokies’ (8-1) eight-game winning streak and ended their shutout streak at 46 innings (eight games).

LSU jumped on Tech starter Emma Mazzarone early, scoring five runs in the first two innings. Then it added two more in the fourth off of reliever Sophie Kleiman. Both Hokies pitchers were called for several illegal pitches that reminded fans of the challenges Emma Lemley faced early in her career.

At one point, it even appeared that the Hokies, who had run-ruled their first six opponents, might become a run-rule casualty themselves. But freshman Jordan Lynch made a diving stop with the bases loaded and Bre Peck made a game-saving catch in center field, robbing LSU’s Tori Edwards of a game-winning home run. 

Tech fought back offensively, too, with Peck doubling in a run and Michelle Chatfield driving in another in the sixth to make the final margin 7-2.

“Nothing this year is going to be easy,” Tech head coach Pete D’Amour told Tech Sideline after the game. “We kind of lost our way in the second inning. We did some things offensively and defensively that we didn’t do the first eight games of the year. We need to learn how to feel comfortable playing in environments like LSU. I think we’ll know what to expect tomorrow.”

In the first game of the day, played at 9 a.m. local time, the Hokies defeated UT-Arlington for the second time in two days. Kleiman got the start in the circle for the Hokies and threw six scoreless innings of four-hit ball while striking out seven. Cassie Grizzard pitched the seventh inning, striking out two.

“I was feeling pretty good out there,” Kleiman said after the game. “But I know my defense always has my back. Jordan [Lynch] and Annika [Rohs] both made great plays behind me today.”

The Hokies wasted no time in giving Kleiman the runs she needed. Lynch led off the game with her first collegiate home run. Two batters later, Peck doubled the lead with a dinger of her own.

Peck added her fourth home run of the year in the third, a two-run shot to left, and Mazzarone hit a solo shot in the fifth inning.

The Hokies will conclude their Louisiana trip with a rematch with LSU on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET. Lemley, who threw perfect games in her last two outings, is expected to start in the circle.

Box Score: No. 18 Virginia Tech 6, UT-Arlington 0
Box Score: No. 7 LSU 7, No. 18 Virginia Tech 2