Virginia Softball Drops Series Finale to No. 13 Virginia Tech 7-0

After putting up 14 runs in the first two games, the Cavaliers were held scoreless in the rubber match as the Hokies took the series

Matt Riley/Virginia Athletics

The Hoos gave the Hokies all they could handle in games 1 and 2, but the 2023 edition of the Commonwealth Clash ultimately went to Virginia Tech. 

After putting up a combined 14 runs in the first two games, which both went to extra innings, the Cavalier bats were stymied by Emma Lemley in the rubber match as No. 13 Virginia Tech blanked Virginia 7-0 to claim the series and a point in the Commonwealth Clash on Saturday afternoon at Palmer Park. 

With the Cavaliers hoping to earn their first series win against Virginia Tech since 2011, an overcast and chilly April day in Charlottesville did nothing to deter a packed crowd from filling Palmer Park to see the finale of the Commonwealth Clash. 

Neither team scored a run in the first three innings, but both starting pitchers had to work themselves out dangerous jams to make that happen. Courtney Layne opened the game with a 1-2-3 top of the first, but had to work around two baserunners to get out of the second inning. Virginia Tech's Emma Lemley, who made her second start of the weekend, faced runners in scoring position in each of the first two innings, but managed to get out of both situations unscathed, assisted in the second inning by a diving catch from left fielder Kelsey Brown to robb Leah Boggs of an RBI. 

Layne ran into serious trouble in the top of the third as she issued a leadoff walk and a bunt single to put two runners on with no outs. Cameron Fagan moved both runners over with a bunt and then Layne struck out Bre Peck for the second out. After walking Emma Ritter to load the bases, Layne got Jayme Bailey, who was responsible for the game-tying grand slam in the seventh inning of game 2, to fly out to center to end the inning and maintain the scoreless tie. 

More problems awaited Layne in the top of the fourth, though, as Addy Greene hit a leadoff single and Kelsey Bennett followed that up with a deep fly ball that went just beyond the outstretched glove of Sarah Coon in right field and one-hopped over the fence for a ground-rule double. Madison Hanson pinch hit and delivered a sacrifice fly to center field to bring in the game's first run. Layne got Emma Jackson to strike out looking, but Kelsey Brown then delivered an RBI double into the gap in right center. Cameron Fagan followed that up with a single to center field and Brown just barely beat the throw home to make it 3-0. That spelled the end of the afternoon for Courtney Layne, as Virginia brought in Jenny Bressler, who walked the first batter she faced, but then got Ritter to groundout to end the inning. 

Abby Weaver got on board with a bloop single and advanced to second on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fourth, but Lemley did well to retire Kelly Ayer and Sarah Coon to keep the Cavaliers off the board. 

Virginia Tech blew the game open in the top of the fifth as Bressler gave up a walk, a single, and then a game-breaking three-run home run from Kyle Aldridge that doubled the Hokie lead. Lemley retired the Cavaliers in order in the fifth and sixth innings and Virginia Tech added one more run for good measure in the top of the seventh, as Kelsey Bennett went yard to center field to make it 7-0. 

Abby Weaver got hit by a pitch to start the bottom of the seventh, but Lemley retired the next three batters to secure the 7-0 shutout for Virginia Tech. 

The victory for the Hokies earns them a point towards the 2022-2023 Commonwealth Clash, which is now tied 8.0-8.0. See the full list of events and scores for the 2022-2023 Commonwealth Clash here.

With the loss, Virginia falls to 26-13 and 7-8 in ACC play. UVA hosts Liberty on Tuesday at 6pm at Palmer Park before traveling down to Tallahassee for a three-game series at No. 6 Florida State this weekend. 

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