After a dominant pitching run from Virginia Tech, the Hokies (46-10) couldn’t muster up enough offense to claim their first ACC title since 2008.
It wasn’t the easiest road for the 4-seed Hokies, who faced No. 6 Virginia and No. 2 Duke to get to the championship game. A common theme in these games was the career pitching performances from Emma Mazzarone and Bree Carrico.
Emma Mazzarone got the start in the 3-1 win against Virginia, when she turned in a career outing, striking out 14 batters in seven complete innings.
Addison Foster was the spark in that game to lift the Hokies past the Cavaliers with a triple that saw her score after a throwing error on the relay. She opened the scoring as Tech added two more runs to complement the near-shutout from Emma Mazzarone.
That win put them in a duel with Duke, which had won the series between the two foes earlier in the regular season. The pitching dominance continued from Bree Carrico until she was replaced by Emma Mazzarone in the late sixth inning after she received medical attention for her hand. Together, they combined for a shutout of one of the best offenses in the nation, holding the Blue Devils to just four hits.
While the Blue Devils' bats faltered, the Hokies bats exploded for four home runs. Michelle Chatfield's derby started with a solo shot in the first inning. Nora Abromavage quickly added a solo home run herself. Later in the game, Rachel Castine followed suit with a blast. In the seventh, Kylie Aldridge knocked a line drive over the right field wall to score two, bringing in some insurance. Mazzarone closed out the game for a 5-0 win.
Two straight wins set the Hokies up with a date with the No. 1 Seminoles in the championship game.
To win championships, you’re going to need a little luck. In the first inning, Jordan Lynch doubled down the left field line. One batter later, Chatfield hit the ball towards shortstop Isa Torres, where it took a big hop off the dirt. Torres corralled the ball, but in the motion of throwing, she launched it over the first baseman’s head, which allowed Lynch to open the scoring.
However, Florida State was quick to take the lead in the second inning. Taking advantage of the leadoff walk from Mazzarone. Kennedy Harp knocked a pitch to right center, tying the game while she trekked to third base. The next at bat, a pitch got away from Mazzarone past Zoe Yeager, allowing Harp to come home and take the lead.
Mazzarone walked on a tightrope the rest of the inning, walking two more batters, but didn’t allow another run.
In the next inning, Avery Layton replaced Emma Mazzarone. The freshman saw an ample amount of time in the circle, given the experience on the team. In the high-stakes game, she held her own while showcasing potential. In her first inning, in the third, she went through the 3-4-5 batters.
The game continued to be a pitching duel between Layton and Jazzy Francik. Francik was getting through batters with relative ease and making quick work, only seeing three or four batters each inning. While Layton saw extra batters in a few of the innings, the game didn't get away from her, and she safely kept the Seminoles from adding to their lead.
Florida State came off a 9-0 run-rule win against Stanford, so it was going to be a challenge to slow down the bats, but Emma Mazzarone and Layton did just that.
On the other side, Francik continued to dominate until she was replaced in the middle of the fifth inning for Ashtyn Danley. The change seemed to allow the Hokies to spark a late-inning comeback in the sixth.
Addison Foster led the sixth with a single. Back-to-back groundouts put the Hokies in a tough position, but Foster stole second, and Nora Abromavage’s groundout got her to third. Danley then walked Chatfield to put runners at the corner.
With two outs and pressure building, Francik was placed back into the circle. She promptly walked Aldridge, loading the bases. At the climax of the game, Francik forced Rachel Castine into a line-out, stranding four runners.
That ended up being the Hokies' best shot to capture a conference title, as Tech went down in order in the seventh, coming a run short of hardware and a chance to host regionals this year.
While it was a bittersweet end, it showed a lot of hope for what this team can accomplish in the NCAA tournament. If the pitching performance continues, the Hokies can score runs. It all just has to be put together, which we’ve seen before this season.
Virginia Tech is now set to travel to Baton Rouge, where they’ll be placed in a region with No. 4 LSU, South Alabama, and Akron.
