Plate Discipline and Timely Offense Aids No. 14 Hokies in Win Over Chattanooga

By Zach Ozmon

Staff Writer

March 24, 2023

BLACKSBURG - Virginia Tech walked all over Chattanooga tonight, both literally and figuratively. The No. 14 Hokies were recipients of a school-record 15 walks, breaking a previous best of 14 free passes secured in a February win over Seton Hall back in 2015. 

After their previous outing against Charlotte, the Hokies knew they had to work on some things. Against the 49ers, Tech only amassed two walks and one hit in the contest. Tonight at Tech Softball Park, that wasn’t the case for Virginia Tech (22-6), as they took down Chattanooga (14-11) by a final of 12-7.

Lyndsey Grein (6-2) got the start for the Hokies and got into some trouble right out of the gates. An error early in the first inning by Tech’s Cameron Fagan extended the inning for Chattanooga’s Acelynn Sellers, who smacked a three-run home run to straightaway center to give the Mocs an early 3-0 lead.

 The Hokies and Chattanooga responded back and forth for the next couple of innings, and going into the bottom of the fourth, the Mocs led 4-2. Unfortunately for Brooke Parrott (2-4) and Chattanooga, that lead would soon be relinquished. The Hokies put up seven runs in the frame thanks to a couple RBI doubles from Bre Peck and Kelsey Bennett, as well as seven walks in the inning by three different Mocs pitchers.

"Having that one big inning helped because it normally goes the other way around for us," Bennett said postgame. "It was good to see that we just kept passing the bat along and we got seven runs in one inning, that was pretty cool."

Chattanooga would rebound in the top half of the fifth after Grein gave up an RBI single to Sellers. Following the at-bat, Tech ace Emma Lemley would then come out of relief, and Jayce Purdy would plate two more runs with a single up the middle, bringing the Mocs back within two runs.

The Hokies wasted no time getting those runs back in the bottom half of the fifth. Three walks by Parrott loaded the bases for Bennett, who made the Mocs pay. With one out in the inning, she cracked a double between left fielder Olivia Lipari and center fielder Adison Keylon, which cleared the bases.

"I think that was the best discipline I've had at the plate all year," Bennett said. "That's good to see, especially now; it was just about seeing the ball and hitting the ball over the plate for me.

“I think a lot of us did that well today, and hopefully it continues throughout the weekend."

Lemley finished out her stellar night and earned the save for the Hokies. She gave up two hits and one walk with seven strikeouts in three innings out of relief. 

Virginia Tech will finish out its three-game series with Chattanooga tomorrow afternoon as a doubleheader is set to occur. The first pitch for game one will be at 12 p.m. ET, followed by game two at 2 p.m.