The 16th-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies softball squad was back in action at Tech Softball Park this weekend, looking to break a rare losing streak, facing the North Carolina Tar Heels. The Hokies had lost three in a row, two to Georgia Tech and one to Liberty, to fall to 38-9 on the season.
Things got off to a great start on Friday, with the Hokies taking down the Tar Heels when Nora Abromavage blasted a two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Tech a 6-5 win. The Heels scored
two in the top of the seventh to retake the lead. Michelle Chatfield drew a walk, and Abromavage hit her 15th home run of the season to send everyone home happy.
Virginia Tech followed Friday’s thrilling win with another run-rule victory on Saturday, with a 14-5 win. The Tar Heels jumped on the Hokies early, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning, but VT responded. Michelle Chatfield drove in one, with Zoe Yaeger coming right behind her with a two-run double to tie the game 3-3.
UNC scored two more in the second, thanks to an error, to take a 5-3 lead. It wouldn’t last long, thanks to a record-setting day from Chatfield. After the Hokies loaded the bases, Chatfield hit her third-career grand slam to give VT a 7-5 lead. The Hokies would never look back.
Chatfield came up to the plate again in the third inning with two runners on, hitting her second homer of the game, this one a three-run shot to make it 10-5. Chatfield also led off the fifth inning with a solo shot, giving her three home runs and nine RBI, setting a new school record. Her four hits and three home runs also tied a school record.
Avery Layton got the win for Tech, improving to 8-2 on the season.
On Sunday, the Hokies completed the sweep with a 5-4 win over the Heels. UNC took an early 1-0 lead, with the Hokies responding in the bottom of the first, as Kylie Aldridge blasted a three-run home run. The Tar Heels tied things in the third and took a 4-3 lead in the top of the fourth. No surprise, but the Hokies had an answer, as Rachel Castine hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth to make it 5-4. Emma Mazzarone pitched the final 2.2 innings to pick up the win, improving to 13-4 on the season.
It’s the third ACC sweep for Virginia Tech this season, as the Hokies are now 41-9, including a 15-6 mark in ACC play.
Next up for the Hokies is a three-game series at Syracuse to wrap up a terrific regular season, before the ACC championships begin on Wednesday, May 6.
