TECH SMASHES FOUR HOMERS IN 6-1 VICTORY

Kaden Reinhard

Staff Writer

March 8, 2025

BLACKSBURG – No. 18 Virginia Tech (19-4, 2-0 ACC) used the long ball to its advantage over No. 23 Virginia (16-7, 0-2) in its 6-1 victory Saturday afternoon.

It was clear from the very beginning that the Cavaliers wanted long and calculated at-bats—forcing themselves into deep counts. 

“We gave up 10 walks,” Tech head coach Pete D’Amour said. “That’s not us.”

The Cavaliers were able to get two on base early in the top of the first by way of walks.

With the bases loaded and only one out, Emma Mazzarone delivered, forcing two groundouts in succession to end the inning.

The Hokies looked to be aggressive early and tried to get the bats hot in a hurry.

That is exactly what happened in the bottom of the second, when Zoe Yaeger and Emily LeGette sent back-to-back solo shots over the fence to give the Hokies a 2-0 lead. 

The Cavaliers looking to respond, started the third with a single, followed by another walk, putting two runners on.

Mazzarone did her part and got the first out with a strikeout. She then forced a ground ball to short, and the Hokies defense turned a textbook 6-4-3 double play to once again escape a dangerous scenario unscathed.

Rolling off the defensive momentum, Tech posed a similar threat. Two walks put runners on first and second for Yaeger, who—just like before—launched another home run, this time a three-run shot to extend the lead to 5-0.

The momentum was then fully on Tech’s side. Even on the defensive end after Yaeger’s home run, Mazzarone fired a three-up, three-down inning.

Virginia looked to halt the momentum that the Hokies seemed to be piling on. A pitching change was made to bring in Ava Hodges for the Cavaliers.

McMillan then added the Hokies' fourth home run of the game, a towering moonshot to right-center.

The Cavaliers once again put the pressure on Mazzarone with runners on first and second with nobody out. 

Sophie Kleiman entered the game and did what she does best—striking out three batters to get out of the jam she checked into.

From there on, the Hokies were not able to amount much else offensively. Ava Hodges settled into the game, and after surrendering the homerun to McMillan, retired seven of her next eight batters faced.

Again, the Cavaliers threatened. After two walks, a sharp single was blasted to Lyla Blackwell to left field—sharp enough where it did not allow time for the run to score from third. 

For the third time in the game, Virginia squeezed their way into a bases loaded scenario. Jade Hylton was able to make hard contact and beat out a close play at first to net the Cavaliers their first and only score of the contest. 

Blackwell came mere inches from tacking another run onto the scoreboard for the Hokies. A well struck ball bounced off the top of the fence and back into play. 

The seventh inning did not go down uneventful, however. For the fourth time, the Cavaliers looked to be on the edge of opening the floodgates with another bases loaded scenario.

The Hokies turned to their ace Emma Lemley, needing just one out, who struckout the batter. 

The pivotal piece in securing the win for the Hokies tonight was the ability to get the ball over the fence. 

“Anytime you can score a run with one swing of the bat is huge for a program,” D’Amour said. 

The Hokies have secured the series win against the Cavaliers, and will look to sweep Virginia on Sunday, with first pitch at noon ET.