Emma Lemley was terrific once again for the Hokies in their 2-1 victory at Alabama on Friday. (Virginia Tech athletics)

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The No. 17 Hokies recorded one of their most impressive wins of the season Friday at the Bama Bash, defeating No. 21 Alabama 2-1. That followed an 8-0, run-rule victory over Drake in the opening game of the event, moving Virginia Tech to 10-2 on the season. 

“We played a couple of good games today,” Tech head coach Pete D’Amour told Tech Sideline Friday evening. “The most impressive aspect was our reaction to adversity in the sixth inning against Alabama. We made a couple of errors, but we were able to recognize the game was getting a little fast and we stopped the bleeding. We didn’t do that last weekend. That’s the kind of growth we’re looking for in our team.”

Senior pitcher Emma Lemley threw a five-hit complete game against Alabama, retiring 16 of the first 17 batters she faced, surrendering only a double to Alabama (6-6) first baseman Abby Duchscherer in the fifth inning. However, a single, followed by an error in the sixth, led to a run for Alabama before right fielder Cori McMillan threw out Audrey Vandagriff at third base to limit the damage, a play the announcers couldn’t stop gushing about.



McMillan, who just started playing outfield last season, admitted the play fired her up.

“I saw [Vandagriff] take off from first and I thought she was going to round second,” McMillan said, “so I just kind of chucked it and it went in the vicinity of third base. I saw [Hokies third baseman] Jordan [Lynch] catch it and tag her and that was pretty exciting.”

But the drama wasn’t over. With Virginia Tech leading 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh, back-to-back Alabama singles put the winning run on base. Yet, Hokies left fielder Lyla Blackwell sealed the victory with a diving catch to record the final out.

“I knew as a slapper that most of the time it’s a blooper, so it would probably be short,” Blackwell said. “I had a feeling that the ball was going to come to me, and since no one was behind me, it was either catch it or they would win the game.” 

Lemley said earlier in the week that she loved playing at Alabama, and Friday’s result did nothing to change her mind.

“I always feel some good energy when I pitch here,” Lemley said after the game. “Alabama is always a good hitting team and they made some adjustments the second and third time through the lineup, so I had to start throwing a few more drop balls. … But when it got tight, nobody tensed up. I get way more excited when somebody makes a good play than when I strike somebody out, and the team made some great plays today.”

Lemley, who threw two perfect games last week, was happier about the victory over the Crimson Tide, a perennial national power that’s been to four of the last five Women’s College World Series.

“Honestly, today was more exciting,” she said. “I finally beat Alabama outright. It took four years, but I did it.”

Friday’s victory evened Lemley’s career record against the Tide to 2-2. Her other win came in a relief role last season. Here are her career stats in the matchup:

The Hokies were able to scratch together the two runs that Lemley needed in the fourth and sixth innings. Kylie Aldridge knocked in the first run on a fielder’s choice, which scored McMillan, who provided some breathing room in the sixth with a double to the gap that scored Zoe Yaeger.

“My teammates told me [Alabama pitcher Catelyn Riley] was throwing drop balls and she was going to go in on me,” said McMillan, who was 4-for-5 on the day. “When she got behind 2-0 [in the count], I knew she was going to throw one down the middle of the plate and I was just going to swing and see what happens.”

Virginia Tech’s first game of the day against Drake (1-5) was scoreless after three innings, but the Hokies plated six runs in the fourth, all of which came with two outs.

Blackwell knocked in the first run with a triple to the left-field wall, scoring Aldridge. Jayden Jones brought Blackwell home on a double and later scored herself after a single by Lynch combined with a throwing error.

McMillan blasted an RBI double to the gap that scored Lynch. On the next at-bat, a Bre Peck single up the middle scored McMillan and Michelle Chatfield, who got on base via a single.

Up 6-0, the Hokies added a seventh run in the fifth on a Lynch groundout at second that allowed Annika Rohs to come home. Emma Mazzarone ended the game in the sixth with a bases-loaded fielder’s choice to second. McMillan was the game-clinching run.

In the circle, Sophie Kleiman (3-0) earned her first complete game of the season and lowered her ERA to 0.78. She has 20 strikeouts in 18 innings.

The Hokies are back in action on Saturday with a doubleheader vs. Southern Utah (3-8) that is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. ET. The Thunderbirds defeated Drake 2-1 in Friday’s first game but were run-ruled by Alabama 9-1.

Box Score: No. 17 Virginia Tech 8, Drake 0 (6 innings) 
Box Score: No. 17 Virginia Tech 2, No. 21 Alabama 1