HOKIES LOSE 4-1 IN A TOP-25 MATCHUP AGAINST FLORIDA STATE

By Josh Collier

Staff Writer

April 20, 2023

BLACKSBURG — In what was a closer game than the score showed, No. 22 Virginia Tech (33-13, 12-7 ACC) could not pull off the upset against No. 5 Florida State (37-8, 14-2) in the first of a three-game series between the two teams. 

Emma Lemley, who is currently second in the nation in strikeouts this season with 229, won in the strikeout category today as she had four, while the Seminoles’ pitchers tallied only one. Unfortunately for Tech, the run count was the opposite of that. The Hokies lost 4-1 due to a dry offensive game until late, when they simply missed their opportunities. 

Until the bottom of the sixth inning, Virginia Tech only managed to scrape up two hits with zero runs, as opposed to Florida State’s eight hits and four runs prior to that point. 

Something must’ve changed though when “Enter Sandman” played right before the bottom of the sixth, which rallied the crowd and seemed to be the spark for a very entertaining rest of the game. 

The bases were filled in the bottom of the sixth for the Hokies with only one out. Bre Peck’s sacrifice fly ended up scoring a run for Tech, but that’s all it got in the home half. 

The Virginia Tech defense was able to hold the Seminoles scoreless in the top of the seventh, keeping it just a 4-1 ballgame with three outs to work with for the maroon and orange. 

The Hokies then found themselves with the bases loaded one final time in the bottom of the seventh with the winning run coming to the plate. Alas, Emma Ritter ended up flying out into left center field to end the threat, earning the Seminoles the three-run victory. 

Virginia Tech will be looking for different results in their two remaining home games against Florida State this weekend, at 6:00 p.m. on Friday and 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.