No. 12 Virginia Tech concluded an impressive three days at the Jane B. Moore Invitational on Sunday with an 11-3 run-rule win over USC Upstate.
The Hokies (16-2) went 5-0 during the three-day event and extended their win streak to nine games.
They had an outstanding weekend, outscoring their opponents 49-14 and hitting .421 as a team, raising their batting average by 0.21 (to .365 from .344). Of their 61 hits, over half were for extra bases (19 doubles, two triples and 10 home runs).
Tech’s three opponents were all ranked in the top 15 in the country in hitting before the tournament. However, the pitchers held them to a .221 batting average and struck out 34.
The Hokies’ defense was also stellar, committing a single error over the five games and turning three double plays.
“It was another impressive weekend for us,” Tech head coach Pete D’Amour told Tech Sideline after Sunday’s win. “Our offense continues to roll, our pitching is dominant at times and always keeping us in games, and our defense is back to where we thought it would be. …
“I told the team after the game that we emphasize ‘getting better’ and ‘next pitch,’ but every once in a while, it’s OK to reflect on where we currently are. We’re playing really well. For most everyone in the program, this is the best team they’ve ever been associated with. That includes youth, high school, club — all of it. It’s okay to realize how unique that is while still knowing we have to continue to improve.”
Box Score: No. 12 Virginia Tech 11, USC Upstate 3 (5 innings)
In Sunday’s game, the Hokies set a season high for hits with 18 and scored in every inning. Eleven different Hokies recorded a hit while Michelle Chatfield and Zoe Yaeger led the attack with three hits each. Yaeger also drove in three runs.
Tech opened the scoring in the first inning when RBI singles by Yaeger and Addison Foster provided a 2-1 lead. In the second inning, both Chatfield and Yaeger blasted two-run home runs to stretch the margin to 6-1. It was the fourth dinger of the season for each of them.
The home runs capped off stellar weekends for the two players. Chatfield hit .632 for the weekend (12-for-19) with three home runs, three doubles and 10 runs. Meanwhile, Yaeger went 10-for-18 (.556) with a home run, two doubles, eight runs and seven RBI.Jordan Lynch also had a great time in Auburn, hitting .500 (8-for-16) and blasting two home runs, two triples and three doubles.
In the third inning, an RBI double by Kylie Aldridge and a Yaeger single plated two more runs. In the fourth, singles by Gaby Mizelle and Annika Rohs scored MJ Abernathy and Haley Luginbill, respectively. Abernathy had reached base on a double, her first base hit as a Hokie.
Congratulations to MJ Abernathy, who got her first ever base hit today as a Hokie - a double to left field. She would eventually score on a single by Gaby Mizelle. pic.twitter.com/26AW4BgKHu
— Chip Grubb (@Hokiechip) March 1, 2026
Foster ended the game in the fifth inning when her double to left field scored Yaeger, providing the Hokies with the eight-run margin necessary for a run-rule win.
Pitching was a team effort. Emma Mazzarone got the start and threw two innings with Sophie Kleiman pitching the third and Bree Carrico closing the game by taking the final two frames.
The trio struck out six batters while only walking one. Kleiman got credit for the win, moving her record to 4-0 on the season.
Virginia Tech will finally get to play some games close to home next weekend as it hosts the Hokie Invite at the Moyer Sports Complex in Salem. During the four-day event, the Hokies will take on Michigan, James Madison, Penn State, Radford and Bryant.