Emma Lemley and Virginia Tech shut out Belmont on Friday afternoon in the NCAA Tournament. (Virginia Tech athletics)

With two outs in the fifth inning, Virginia Tech pitching coach Josh Johnson went to the circle to talk to pitcher Emma Lemley after she walked the bases loaded.

“[Johnson said] basically just to calm down,” Lemley said. “He brought me a towel and he was like, ‘Eh, just take a minute.’ I locked back in. I was probably on a nine and I needed to be on a five on that scale, so I just had to calm down and not try to throw 70 [mph]. I got back in the next batter, threw three good pitches and got a good strikeout.”

The message worked. Lemley picked up her eighth strikeout of the afternoon against pinch hitter Lauren Luciani, helping the Hokies cruise to a 5-0 win over Belmont in the first game of the NCAA Tournament.

Tech advances to face No. 15 Alabama in the winners’ bracket of the Tuscaloosa Regional on Saturday at noon ET.

Lemley worked a no-hitter into the top of the fifth inning, when she surrendered a bloop single to Bruins right fielder Emma Barnes over third base. Otherwise, she was nearly flawless aside from two walks and a hit batter.

With nine strikeouts across 95 pitches, Lemley accrued her fourth career NCAA Tournament win.

“I was really happy with it,” Lemley said. “I felt like even that one inning, when they got a few runners on and it was a little shaky, I still felt good. I never felt that I wasn’t in control of the situation.”

The Hokies found offense in the first and third innings. As the second batter in the bottom of the first, third baseman Jordan Lynch worked a nine-pitch at-bat and sent the final one over the right field fence. The freshman slammed a changeup to homer in her first NCAA Tournament plate appearance.

The third inning brought more runs from the second, third and fourth slots in the lineup. Lynch scored right fielder Cori McMillan with a single up the middle. Then catcher Zoe Yaeger tripled into right-center field, scoring Lynch from first base. For good measure, designated player Kylie Aldridge homered in both herself and Yaeger.

“With the runner on third, I was just looking for one pitch in one spot and trying to put the ball in play,” Aldridge said. “I ended up getting on time for it, and it went out.”

Virginia Tech head coach Pete D’Amour shuffled the lineup after first baseman Michelle Chatfield sustained a left wrist injury on May 4 against Florida State — who D’Amour said is day-to-day. Without her for the ACC Tournament and Friday’s NCAA Tournament contest, he moved Lynch into the two-hole, right behind McMillan, the national home run leader.

“It’s picking up our teammate and doing whatever we can to keep passing the bat,” Aldridge said. “There’s 15 or so of us that can be in at any moment and get a hit. If you take your walks or put the ball in play, good things will happen.”

Belmont arm Maya Johnson led her team to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance and entered the postseason with the highest strikeout count in the country. Though she picked up six more punchouts, the Hokies managed to tag her for five hits and five earned runs. 

“[She is] a really good riseball pitcher,” D’Amour said. “She wants you to swing at balls that are out of the strike zone, so we had to be really aware of our strike zone discipline — and we were today. … We wanted to put the ball in play, and we did.”

Alabama awaits the Hokies after it handled Jackson State 8-0 in the game immediately following Tech’s. If the Crimson Tide seems like a familiar opponent, that’s because it is. The Tuscaloosa Regional marks Virginia Tech’s fourth trip down South in the last four years. 

The 2025 iteration in non-conference play brought a two-game split. The Hokies won the first game 2-1 behind strong pitching from Lemley and two game-saving snags in left field from Lyla Blackwell. Alabama took the second iteration 9-1 after figuring out Tech’s pitching.

“We’re going to be prepared for whoever we play,” Lemley said. “It’s always fun to play Alabama, it’s always a really good game against them — but I think we’re ready.”

Virginia Tech and Alabama will play on Saturday at noon ET on ESPN+. If the Hokies win, they will advance to the regional final on Sunday. If they lose, they will have another opportunity to keep their season alive in the elimination bracket against either Belmont or Jackson State right after.

Box Score: Virginia Tech 5, Belmont 0