Lemley continues domination over UCF in Game 2 shutout

By Ishan Lamba

Staff Writer

April 3, 2022

Imagine if you grabbed a bat, stood in the batter’s box, and tried to get a hit off of this Virginia Tech pitching staff. You may look silly, but you’d have about as much success as the Hokies’ opponents have had in recent games.

No. 5 Virginia Tech (27-3) continued to look indestructible against No. 22 Central Florida (29-10) in the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader, shutting out the Knights in a 7-0 victory to clinch another series.

After getting no-hit by Keely Rochard in the game prior, Central Florida didn’t get much of a break with Emma Lemley, whose ferocity ensured Tech’s dominance in the second game.

Game 2 got off to a similar start as Game 1. Early hits in the first inning gave the Hokies a hot start, but they were unable to capitalize with the bases loaded and one out.

Lemley struck out the side in the first before Kama Woodall responded with a three-batter inning herself.

As Lemley kept the Knights under her thumb, the Hokies kept pushing.

In the third inning, Cameron Fagan singled up the middle, then stole second and third on a fielding error, but was eventually stranded by a web gem by Kennedy Searcy on the hot corner.

Searcy nabbed a searing liner from Emma Ritter before lowering her glove to apply the tag to Fagan, all in one fluid motion.

Kelsey Bennett made up for it in the next inning with a leadoff solo shot, but the Hokies squandered another bases-loaded opportunity later in the inning to hold on to a narrow 1-0 lead.

Like Rochard, Lemley had a perfect game going into the fourth inning, but she too spoiled it with a four-pitch walk, this one to Jada Cody.

Nothing would come of it, though, and VT would pad the lead with a Bennett RBI double, and a Bre Peck RBI single.

Tech’s base running was the story all afternoon, and it paid off in the sixth, when Trull singled and was able to reach second on a fielding error. A passed ball sent her to third, and a Kelsey Brown laser single gave her enough time to reach home, pushing the lead to 4-0.

Micaela Macario played spoiler to Lemley’s no-hitter in the sixth, denying the freshman her second no-no in three games and giving Tech a second consecutive doubleheader no-hit showing.

Macario’s single was an attempt to jumpstart the Knights’ offense, but Lemley’s put a stop to their ambitions.

Tech added some insurance runs in the away half of the seventh after Peck homered, then Jayme Bailey and Grace Chavez got on base to be driven home by a Darby Trull double.

With a 7-0 scoreline, Lemley put the final three outs away to seal the complete game shutout, the ninth of the season.

Tech is unbeaten in weekend series this season, sweeping the previous four. The Hokies will look to make it a fifth on Monday night at 6 pm. The game will be available to watch on ESPN+.