Jordan Lynch and the Hokies needed just a little bit more against the Tigers on Friday. (Jon Fleming)

In the top of the second inning at Tech Softball Park on Thursday, Virginia Tech pitcher Emma Mazzarone worked two quick outs, then induced a ground ball right back to her. She moved toward first base to make the throw, but Clemson second baseman Marian Collins outran her underhand toss to Michelle Chatfield. Instead of grabbing the third out, it put a runner on first.

Tigers catcher Corri Hicks followed with a full-count walk, bringing third baseman Sarah Breaux to the plate. Breaux then slammed a 2-0 pitch over the left-field wall to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead they did not relinquish. The away team escaped with a 4-2 win in the series opener.

“Funky play at first to Mazz, so she got on,” Virginia Tech head coach Pete D’Amour said after the game. “... You get the first out on that play to first, and it’s a different inning, but that’s just the way softball is.”

That relatively small play — a swinging bunt back to the pitcher — helped Clemson (25-13, 7-6 ACC) grab the first game of the series. The No. 12 Hokies (31-5, 7-3 ACC) had chances to win and left eight runners on base, but ultimately couldn’t put enough together.

“We’re not gonna hang our heads too much,” Hokies third baseman Jordan Lynch said. “I thought we played well. It was a great game of softball. It just didn’t go our way today.”

Lynch was crucial to Tech’s comeback efforts, both at the plate and with her glove. She knocked an RBI single to bring around shortstop Annika Rohs — following an RBI fielder’s choice from Rohs — to limit the deficit to one run. Plus, trailing 4-2 with one out in the bottom of the seventh, the sophomore knocked a full-count double to bring the tying run to home plate.

“I screamed at the dugout [after the double]. I said, ‘Right now,’ because I always have so much confidence in my team,” Lynch said. “I thought we were gonna do it, and we didn’t, but that’s OK.”

Before that, Clemson had put a runner on third base in the top of the third inning with two outs. Tigers right fielder Macey Cintron hit a hard ground ball to Lynch, who was playing shallow with the runner approaching home plate. She dove to her left, grabbed the ball, regrouped on her knees and fired the ball to Chatfield, who scooped her throw for the third out and saved a run.

“Honestly, in my head, I was like, ‘I’ve got to make this play so we can go in and score runs,’” Lynch said, “and that’s what I did.”

Clemson also flashed the leather. The Hokies had runners on second and third in the bottom of the fourth, bringing up Lynch, who popped a pitch into the shallow outfield. Tigers center fielder Jamison Brockenbrough sprinted toward the ball and dove, nabbing it to save two runs and the game from being tied.

“They made plays,” D’Amour said. “They’re a good team — and good teams make plays.”

Clemson simply was a smidge better. Tigers pitcher Sierra Maness went the distance and wasn’t the most efficient; only 58 of her 101 pitches were strikes. Plus, she only struck out one batter. But she was effective against Virginia Tech’s strong offense, allowing seven hits and two runs but keeping her team steadily in the lead. 

Mazzarone tossed all seven frames for Virginia Tech and held her own. She gave up four runs, four hits and four walks, while striking out five batters in the process. Her blemishes were Breaux’s homer and another RBI single.

The Hokies, about a month removed from their best start in program history, are 36 games into the season. Friday’s game marked just their fifth loss — and it was to last season’s ACC champion. D’Amour emphasizes mental strength and perseverance through adversity, and Friday’s loss provided Virginia Tech a chance to do exactly that.

“Nothing changes,” D’Amour said. “We’ve played almost 40 games, so it’s not like you lose and you’re gonna change something. So, we’ll get back at it tomorrow and see what happens.”

The two teams will rematch at Tech Softball Park on Friday at 6 p.m. ET (ACCNX).

Box Score: Clemson 4, No. 12 Virginia Tech 2