Ahead of its first home conference series of the season, No. 14 Virginia Tech softball traveled to Longwood and swept a doubleheader on Wednesday amid temperatures in the 40s.
The Hokies (24-4) will host a three-game set against NC State this weekend at Tech Softball Park.
“Midweek games on the road can be challenging, especially when it’s cold,” Tech head coach Pete D’Amour told Tech Sideline. “We’ll take wins any time we can get them and start preparing for the weekend tomorrow.”
Game 1: Virginia Tech 12, Longwood 0 (five innings)
Tech only smacked one extra-base hit — a double by center fielder Addison Foster in the fifth inning — but drew eight walks and knocked eight total hits for the run-rule victory.
“We started off a little slow tonight,” D’Amour said. “Their pitcher in the first game kept us off balance and it felt like we carried the results of some at-bats with us too long. We did a good job resetting and getting back to work. I was pleased with our pitching tonight, too.”
The Hokies obtained RBI from first baseman Michelle Chatfield, designated player Kylie Aldridge, pinch hitter Jordan Bishop (two), left fielder Nora Abromavage, pinch hitter MJ Abernathy and second baseman Rachel Castine (three).
The away side went down in order in the first and scraped a run in the second courtesy of a sacrifice fly from Castine. Then the floodgates opened with five runs in the fourth and six in the fifth for Tech.
Castine singled around Foster and third baseman Jordan Lynch in the top of the fourth to make the score 3-0. An Aldridge single combined with a Longwood fielding error brought home three more runs.
Then in the fifth, Foster scored on a fielding error. Castine scored on a fielder’s choice. Bishop knocked a single to allow Chatfield and pinch hitter Lily Pallante to touch home plate. Abromavage singled around Bishop to make the score 11-0. Finally, Abernathy knocked an RBI single for a 12-0 lead.
Avery Layton and Addyson Fisher split time in the circle for Tech. Layton gave up just one hit and one walk — while striking out four batters — in four shutout frames. Layton finished the game with a three-up, three-down fifth inning.
Virginia Tech tagged Lancers (12-20) arms Cierra Gawryluk and Morgan Strickland for 12 hits, six earned runs and eight walks.
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The Hokies hit 7-for-20 with runners on base, with all seven of those hits coming with runners in scoring position. Plus, they hit 2-for-2 with the bases loaded.
Game 2: Virginia Tech 7, Longwood 1
Bree Carrico tossed the final four innings for Virginia Tech with a walk as her only blemish. Other than that, she was perfect — with 10 strikeouts along the way.
“I felt great,” Carrico said. “Obviously, cold, but just getting ahead of batters was my main priority, and to throw strikes.”
Carrico took the ball from starter Sophie Kleiman starting in the fourth inning. Kleiman limited Longwood to one run and three hits — then Carrico dominated.
Longwood pitcher Maggie Chapin held Virginia Tech in check for three innings while the Lancers grabbed a 1-0 lead, until the Hokies punched back. Lynch scored via a sacrifice fly from Foster to tie the game at one in the fourth. Yaeger slammed a three-run home run in the fifth inning. Foster homered in the sixth and Lynch drove in another two runs with a homer in the seventh.
“We played much better in the second game,” D’Amour said. “Our approach improved and we played with more intensity.”
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