Hokies toss double no-no in doubleheader sweep at Longwood

By Ishan Lamba

Staff Writer

March 22, 2022

Game 1

It was an ordinary Tuesday afternoon featuring an ordinary in-state matchup between No. 5 Virginia Tech and Longwood. And after battling back from a 3-1 count, Tech starter Ivy Rosenberry retired Lauren Fox swinging for the final out — an ordinary play.

But this was no ordinary out and this was no ordinary day.

The sizzling Hokies (23-3, 9-0 Atlantic Coast) made history against the Lancers (9-18, 3-3 Big South), no-hitting them twice in the same day in a showing of utter dominance. In Game 1, the Hokies won 5-0.

After her three appearances last weekend against UNC –– one which included two starts –– Tuesday was a day of rest for Virginia Tech’s ace, Keely Rochard.

Tech head coach Pete d’Amour gave freshman Emma Lemley the ball to start Game 1 after taking a comebacker to the shin last Saturday, and she showed that any injury she suffered was no problem.

Lemley started the day red-hot, striking out five straight through two innings followed by a three-up, three-down inning.

While the Hokie base runners were kept at bay and away from home plate, they would eventually break through in the fourth.

With two runners in scoring position, Jayme Bailey laid down a perfectly-placed bunt right back to pitcher Sydney Backstrom, letting Emma Ritter scamper home safely.

As Lemley continued to deal, Ritter would return the favor by hitting an RBI single in the next inning, scoring Fagan following her leadoff triple.

In the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, Lemley allowed just one base runner off a walk, continuing to rack up strikeouts and keep the … thing that wouldn’t yet be named going.

Bailey blew the first game wide open in Tech’s favor in the top of the seventh with a bases-clearing triple to extend the lead to 5-0.

Lemley had unfinished business, and despite a nerve-racking ending that saw two high fly balls, her teammates backed her up to secure her first collegiate no-hitter.

Game 2

Ivy Rosenberry got to start in the circle for Game 2, her first start of the season.

Rosenberry continued Lemley’s destruction, retiring the first 10 batters she faced.

Meanwhile, the Hokie offense kept pace with three splash innings, good to win Game 2 13-0.

The first of these innings was the second, when Ritter quickly traveled the bases –– thanks to a first-pitch single, a wild pitch, a sacrifice grounder by Bailey and an RBI single by Morgan Overaitis.

Mackenzie Lawter drew a walk before Darby Trull confidently doubled into right center to score two more.

Meredith Slaw went yard with two outs to pile on two more and equal the 5-0 margin the Hokies won by in the earlier matchup.

The second splash inning was the fourth, which got off to a hot start thanks to a fielding error that sent Trull to third base.

Addy Greene’s single was more than enough for Trull, and Greene managed to get to second courtesy of another fielding error.

Maddie Rountree was called upon in place of Bre Peck and drew a walk. Then Kelsey Bennett took an opposite-field shot into right field, doubling to score Greene.

With two runners in scoring position, Ritter doubled on the other side of the field to bat them both in and bump the lead up by four more.

Despite being above the run-rule margin, VT added some more runs for good measure.

Maddy Federico drew a walk and scored off another RBI hit from Greene.

While Greene was eventually out at third, the Hokies continued, as Slaw singled and Peck drew a walk.

Rachel Castine was called upon to hit and she did not disappoint, bombing it over the left center wall and pushing the score up to 13-0.

With the victory all but secured, one final item was left to tend to. A first-pitch grounder and quick flyout put the honor just one out away.

A gut-wrenching moment hit Rosenberry when Lauren Taylor’s grounder rolled underneath the glove of Greene.

But the softball gods smiled upon the sophomore pitcher, as the play was ruled an error, preserving the no-hitter.

She got Lauren Fox to throw the kitchen sink at a dropball and got the final strike she needed to secure her first ever complete game no-hitter.

Tuesday marked the first time since March 1999 when the first two no-hitters in program history were thrown in back-to-back games against Brown and Boston College.

It also marked the first time in program history that Tech pitched back-to-back no-no’s in a doubleheader.

The Hokies’ confidence continues to climb as they win their 12th straight going into a weekend series in Pittsburgh.

Game one of the series against Pitt (11-12, 1-5 ACC) is scheduled for Friday at 6 pm, available on the ACC Network Extra.