Virginia Tech and Duke split the doubleheader, Blue Devils picks up the series wiNs

By Zach Ozmon

Staff Writer

April 2, 2023

BLACKSBURG - Going into game one of this doubleheader, Virginia Tech knew it had a tough matchup facing a tough Duke team at Tech Softball Park. After being one-hit in their previous matchup and falling to Duke 7-1, with their only knock being a solo home run from Jayme Bailey, the Hokies once again fell prey to Duke and its sensational pitching. The Hokies (26-8, 8-3 ACC) dropped the first game of the afternoon to the Blue Devils (28-7, 10-4) in similar fashion losing by a score of 5-1.

It was quite the pitcher’s duel between starters Tech’s Lyndsey Grein (6-3) and Duke’s Jala Wright (7-3). Both pitchers got through four innings of work with barely any runs as the only score of the game that far in came off the bat of Duke third baseman Ana Gold, who nailed a double down the left field line giving her team a 1-0 lead though the four frames.

Trouble struck the Hokies in the top half of the fifth inning, when Molly Jacobson entered into the game replacing Grein. The Blue Devils took advantage of the inexperienced pitcher and put up a four spot in the fifth. Jacobson, who posted a line of four hits, four runs, all earned, and gave up back to back homers in the inning to Ana Gold and Aminah Vega, was replaced by the starter Grein after only getting through a third of an inning pitched. 

The Hokies could only muster one run in the game, a solo shot off the bat of Meredith Slaw in the bottom half of the sixth inning. Many similarities showed between their loss in game one this afternoon and their loss on Saturday. Despite the offensive struggles, the Hokies had a second game to compete in, and that's exactly what they did.

Game two brought out the side of Virginia Tech (27-8, 9-3 ACC) that fans are used to seeing as they used four homeruns to assist them in their 13-8 win against Duke (28-8, 10-5) in the series finale.

“We just had to get on time. I thought we were late a lot this weekend,” head coach Pete D’Amour said about the team's response in the series finale. "I think our swings are good but our timing has been off the last couple of weeks so it was nice to find it at the end of this series.”

Starters Emma Lemley (17-3) and Cassidy Curd faced off in the second game and both teams provided fans with a masterclass of skills and a barnburner of a game.

Duke struck early once again as Lemley struggled to find her pitches early through the first couple of frames. Eight hits through the first three innings enabled the Blue Devils to jump out to an early 5-0 lead. In what many thought was going to be another number in the loss column for the Hokies, they responded big in the bottom half of the third.

A solo shot by Rachel Castine to open the inning gave the Hokies their first run of the game, which had been the case for the first two games of this series as well. However, the Hokies didn’t stop there as Jayme Bailey and Emma Ritter both homered back to back in the later part of the inning to even the score at five. 

Just like the third inning for the Hokies, the fifth and sixth were a major catalyst in their win. A massive error by game one starter Jala Wright (7-4) on an Addy Greene tapper back to the mound with the bases loaded allowed for the Hokies to clear the bases and go up 8-5.

Duke would retaliate by putting up two runs in the top of the sixth off extra base hits and bring the game within one run. Virginia Tech would respond in the bottom half of the same inning with a five-run sixth, finished by a three-run homer off the bat of Emma Ritter to give the Hokies a comfortable lead and eventually close out the game.

“I’ve been kind of struggling recently, so I'm trying to work the middle of the field a little bit,” Ritter said about her success at the plate in the finale. "Try to simplify the game, see more pitches, but then also be more aggressive in the box. I’m just trying not to think too much."

Though drastic differences came to fruition for both squads in the afternoon, each team should feel positive moving forward as they split the day each earning themselves a victory with Duke taking the series win.

Virginia Tech’s next matchup will be yet another doubleheader against Longwood on Tuesday in Blacksburg with game one starting at 3 p.m and game two following at 6 p.m.