An odd series of events prompted No. 17 Virginia Tech softball and Villanova to split a doubleheader at the Moyer Sports Complex in Salem on Friday.
Game 1: Virginia Tech 18, Villanova 2 (5 innings)
The Hokies tied their program record by hitting eight home runs in a game en-route to a win in five innings.
Center fielder Bre Peck, first baseman Michelle Chatfield and designated player Emma Mazzarone had two knocks apiece. Left fielder Jayden Jones and second baseman Rachel Castine each added one.
Tech had hit eight homers in a game just once before: on March 14, 2021, against NC State.
Virginia Tech (14-4) notched eight runs in the second inning, five runs in the third and another five in the fourth.
In the second inning, Mazzarone smacked a three-run homer, then McMillan hit an RBI double three batters later, then Jones homered to bring home two. Chatfield finished the frame with a two-run blast of her own, following Peck’s walk.
The third frame brought Castine’s first home run of the season and her second RBI after she struggled coming off a broken wrist which sidelined her for most of the 2024 campaign. After Castine’s hit, Lynch had an RBI fielder’s choice, followed by additional home runs from Peck and Chatfield.
Mazzarone hammered her second homer of the day in the fourth inning. Later on, Lynch hit an RBI single, then Peck had a three-run knock for good measure.
Peck led the team with five RBI, followed by Mazzarone’s four and Chatfield’s three. All of Peck’s and Chatfield’s runs batted in came with two outs.
Starting pitcher Sophie Kleiman earned her second complete game in a Hokies uniform. The Indiana transfer threw all five innings, allowing five hits, two runs and two walks. Kleiman’s nine strikeouts are the highest total of her career, surpassing an eight-strikeout performance against NC Central in 2024.
On the other hand, the Wildcats (6-9) failed to keep an arm in the circle for more than 1 ⅓ innings. Lexi Korbyn tossed the first inning and a third and allowed six hits and six runs across 11 batters faced. Maddy Burns followed her with ⅔ of an inning, surrendering two more runs. Sophia Mount threw another ⅔ of an inning and gave up four hits and five runs. Maranda Runco granted the final six hits and five runs in an inning of work.
Game 2: Villanova 7, Virginia Tech 6
Tech’s last-ditch rally was not enough to recover from costly mistakes early in the game.
Mazzarone, in the circle during the nightcap, struggled in her three innings. She allowed seven earned runs on five hits — including two home runs — while striking out three and walking another three. She gave up a one-out solo homer in the second inning, then a two-RBI triple four batters later.
The Hokies’ three-run deficit became much less manageable in the third. With a 2-0 count, Wildcats catcher Mackenzie Waghorn’s first career home run was a two-out grand slam, more than doubling their lead.
Cassie Grizzard relieved Mazzarone in the fourth and shut down the Wildcats through the end. She allowed no hits or runs, walking one batter while striking out six.
Virginia Tech mounted a comeback, especially in the fifth and sixth frames, but its efforts fell short.
In the third, McMillan whacked a solo homer to get the Hokies on the board. Shortstop Annika Rohs hit a single to earn them another run in the fifth. Later in the inning, McMillan had a two-RBI double, scoring Rohs and Castine. In the sixth, Lynch homered to center field, cutting Villanova’s advantage to one.
While Tech’s efforts created seventh-inning angst, the events that followed were anticlimactic. Jones popped up to the second baseman before pinch hitter Kylie Aldridge flew out to center field. Peck grounded out for the final out.
Kat Gallant, who threw to the final batter of the first game, kept Virginia Tech in check. Though she surrendered eight hits and six runs, she made pitches when necessary. She limited her opponent to 4-for-12 with runners on base, including 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
The Hokies have three more games in Salem this weekend. The first will come against Penn State on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET.