HOKIES OVERPOWER CAVALIERS TO OPEN CONFERENCE PLAY

Evan Livingstone

Staff Writer

March 7, 2025

BLACKSBURG – Few things signal a strong start like a series-opening win against a ranked rival, and No. 18 Virginia Tech (18-4, 1-0 ACC) delivered just that with an 8-4 victory over No. 23 Virginia (16-6, 0-1) on Friday evening. 

Electric offensive performances from Jordan Lynch and Bre Peck fueled the Tech offense. Peck and fellow outfielder Lyla Blackwell also shined defensively, each throwing out a baserunner—preventing a run and advancement.

The Hokies did not have the start as they would have hoped, allowing the Cavaliers to score three runs in the first two innings while being shutout. Many hits seemed to find their way through gaps and under gloves. 

“We’ve got to be cleaner on the pitching side,” Tech head coach Pete D’Amour said. “We left some balls over the middle, and they made us pay.”

The Virginia offense found multiple ways to get on base and score. Center fielder Kelly Ayer led the effort, ripping a double into the left-center gap, followed by an RBI single from Macee Eaton. 

The defense rewarded the offense with a strikeout and two consecutive groundouts to close out the first inning.

Damage control came in the second inning for the Hokies. A run at the plate was prevented when Lyla Blackwell fired a rope from left field, making the crucial stop.

While the bats came out slow the first time through the order for Tech, it certainly found its rhythm the second time around. Annika Rohs got the party started for the rest of the team with a single to open the bottom of the third frame—and from there it was on.

Base hit after base hit allowed Rohs, McMillan, Chatfield and Peck to score. The third inning surge put the Hokies right into the driver’s seat, and the home crowd knew it. 

The Cavaliers added another run in the fourth, but a tie was the best they could manage from there on out.

Virginia then replaced Bigham with Savannah Henley in an attempt to stop the bleeding, which had no dice.

The streak from the third continued for Tech with a huge double from Lynch, bringing in Rohs and McMillan yet again. 

The offense as a whole showed out and performed, but Lynch was a major factor in its success. This has become a theme for the Maryland native, who is batting .338 on the season and came into the year on both the 2025 Softball America and Division 1 Softball Preseason Freshman Watch Lists. 

Following Lynch’s hit, the offense found a way to put another run on the board in both the fourth and the fifth innings, giving them eight. Virginia had no answer, thanks in large part to a shutdown performance from Tech pitcher Sophie Kleiman.

Coming in for Lemley—Kleiman dominated. She retired six batters in her three innings pitched—posting zero runs. 

“She’s pretty imposing,” D’Amour said. “When she gets out there, she throws strikes, and it’s hard to elevate the ball on her.”

This led to quite the number of groundouts for the Virginia lineup following Kleiman’s entry, which made it hard for them to get much else going—finishing with just the four runs they tallied through the first four innings.

Tech’s strong defensive play down the stretch set the tone for the remainder of the game. 

But an electric offensive display, with the bats heating up, is something the team will aim for in every game from here on out—and throughout the rest of the series.

The win tonight marks the first match of a three-game series between the in-state rivals, opening conference play for each. They will meet again Saturday and Sunday. 

“We don’t really think too much about Virginia,” D’Amour said. … “Everything is about game-to-game and whoever’s playing.

“They punched us in the mouth, and we punched them back. We’re looking to do that against everybody.”

It is clear that Tech is both focused and determined. The Hokies are one step closer to breaking out the brooms with this win and look to carry that momentum into Saturday and Sunday’s matchups.