Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – No. 11/12 Virginia Tech swept Saturday’s doubleheader against Notre Dame, earning a 5-0 win in the first game and a 12-4 victory in the second game.
Emma Lemley and Emma Mazzarone earned wins in the circle while Rachel Castine and Cori McMillan both hit home runs.
How It Happened: Virginia Tech 5, Notre Dame 0
Tech struck in the first inning as freshman Jordan Lynch drove in two with an RBI single up the middle.
Despite not scoring over the next three innings, Emma Lemley held down the mound and limited Notre Dame to no runs.
In the top of the fifth, Lynch launched her team-leading 15th double of the season to score Bre Peck and extend the Hokie lead to 3-0.
The dagger came in the bottom of the sixth as Rachel Castine blasted a two-run home run to center field to make it a 5-0 Hokie lead.
Lemley ended the game with her seventh strike out of the day. She allowed just three hits in the complete-game shutout.
How It Happened: Virginia Tech 12, Notre Dame 4 (5 inn.)
Tech got two runs on the board to start the game thanks to a Kylie Aldridge sacrifice fly and an RBI groundout from Bre Peck. The Fighting Irish responded right away with a solo home run in the top of the second to cut the deficit to 2-1.
With Annika Rohs on first with a walk, Cori McMillan’s two-run shot to center field extended the Hokie lead to 4-1.
Despite Notre Dame adding another run in the top of the third, Zoe Yaeger delivered a two-RBI double to center field to make it 6-2 Hokies in the bottom of the third.
After the Fighting Irish cut the lead once again and made it a 6-4 game, the Hokies dominated the bottom of the fifth to secure the run-rule victory.
Back-to-back RBI singles from Lyla Blackwell and Rohs made it 8-4, while an RBI single from Michelle Chatfield extended it to 9-4. After Rachel Castine drew a bases-loaded walk, Aldridge delivered the game-winning hit – a two-RBI single to left field – to earn the 12-4 win in five innings.
Emma Mazzarone was lights out on the mound as she struck out nine batters and gave up six hits over five innings.
Game Notes
• Tech has won 16 straight games – the longest active winning streak in Division I
• Tech recorded its nation-leading 18th shutout of the season
• Tech posted 10 or more runs for the 11th time this season
• Tech secured its 15th run-rule win of the year
• Tech improves to 13-1 in the ACC and 11-1 at TSP
• Tech improves to 14-31 in all-time matchups against Notre Dame
• Nine Hokies recorded a hit over both games
• Cori McMillan hit her ACC-leading 18th home run of the season
• Rachel Castine hit her fifth home run of the season
• Kylie Aldridge, Castine and Jordan Lynch all finished with three RBIs on the day
• Castine also posted a team-leading 1.400 slug percentage
• With three hits, Castine and Lynch led the Hokies with a .600 batting average over both games
• Bre Peck recorded her 200th career hit in the first game
• Emma Lemley earned her 15th win of the season
• She pitched a complete-game shutout and tallied seven strikeouts in the first game
• Emma Mazzarone won her 10th game of the season
• She struck out nine batters in the five-inning win
Up Next
No. 11/12 Virginia Tech (35-5, 13-1 ACC) wraps up its series against Notre Dame (19-23-1, 6-11 ACC) at 6 p.m. on Sunday, April 13 at Tech Softball Park. The game will be televised on ACC Network.