After No. 10 Virginia Tech softball secured a series victory over then-No. 21 Virginia, catcher Zoe Yaeger was the first to admit she has not played up to her own standards.
“It’s been a rough month,” she said in Charlottesville on Sunday.
During that game, she contributed two fielder’s choices that resulted in runs, though she technically didn’t pick up a hit. During the Hokies’ 9-0 win over Liberty in Lynchburg on Wednesday, the junior grabbed two hits — and added two walks in the process. The Flames failed to get her out.
Liberty (20-22) failed to get a lot of other Virginia Tech (37-6) players out, too. Seven players picked up hits, including four who notched two. Along with Yaeger, center fielder Addison Foster, third baseman Jordan Lynch and second baseman Rachel Castine finished with two hits.
“We did a good job staying focused tonight,” Virginia Tech head coach Pete D’Amour told Tech Sideline. “That will be a point of emphasis for us as the season moves along.”
Tech scored in the first, second, fifth and seventh innings. Lynch slammed a two-run homer in the top of the first to convert herself and Foster, then doubled around Foster an inning later. Left fielder Nora Abromavage made the score 4-0 in the fifth inning with a solo blast, then Castine singled to bring around pinch runner Lyla Blackwell in the fifth. Finally, right fielder Gaby Mizelle knocked a grand slam in the seventh to further broaden the Hokies’ advantage to 9-0.
During its series win last weekend at Virginia, Virginia Tech failed to clear the fence. On Wednesday, it finished with three homers.
“We just stuck with it,” Mizelle said. “They pitched well against us in Charlottesville, but we also know how we can hit, so we did it tonight — and showed it.”
Bree Carrico began the game in the circle for Virginia Tech and picked up her 12th win of the season; she has carried an undefeated record through 24 appearances. She gave up three hits without surrendering any runs or walks, while striking out four batters in the process. Avery Layton finished the game with three shutout, one-hit frames of her own, earning her first career save in the process.
Layton allowed a hit to Liberty center fielder Paige Doerr on her second pitch of the outing. After that, she retired nine consecutive batters to end the game.
“My defense was there the whole time,” Layton said.
The Hokies tagged both Flames pitchers. Gabby Mike started and lasted four innings, giving up five runs, seven hits and five walks in the process — though she struck out four batters. Danner Allen did not accrue a strikeout during her three innings of work, allowing four runs in the process, all on Mizelle’s grand slam.
Though Virginia Tech left nine runners on base, it hit 6-for-17 with runners on base, including 4-for-9 with someone in scoring position. Liberty went 1-for-8 with runners on base, including just 0-for-1 with someone at second base or beyond.
The Flames worked two singles off Carrico in the second inning, bringing up shortstop Savanah Whatley with two outs. Carrico struck her out looking, and that was the last time Liberty put a runner in scoring position.
Softball seasons are long and there is little margin for error — especially since Tech sat 19th in the RPI entering Wednesday, bogged down by just the 65th-best strength of schedule in the country. Tech won’t accrue the strength of schedule its SEC counterparts will, just by nature of its conference.
In each of the last two seasons, Virginia Tech cruised into mid-April in prime position to earn a top-16 seed and host a regional during the NCAA Tournament. Last year, though, the Hokies traveled to Pitt and dropped two of three games, stumbling to the end of the regular season and barely missing a hosting opportunity. The year prior, they dropped two of three games to Syracuse to conclude the regular season.
They cannot afford to struggle against teams they are expected to beat — and they remained composed in Lynchburg on Wednesday.
“I don’t worry about letdowns with this team,” D’Amour said. “We looked at some baseline numbers yesterday and we’re not seeing any physical drop-offs, which is rare at this point in the year. We’re headed into the part of the season where being mentally locked in is as important as physical ability.”
Next comes a three-game set at Tech Softball Park against Georgia Tech, which will coincide with the spring football game. The first game will take place on Friday at 6 p.m. ET on the ACC Network.
Box Score: No. 10 Virginia Tech 9, Liberty 0