Virginia Tech Softball: Hokies Run Rule NC State Wolfpack in Series Opener

The Hokies successfully defended their win streak on Friday against the Wolfpack in the first set of a three-game series.

Cori McMillan walks down the row of her Hokie teammates greeted with high fives. / Virginia Tech Athletics.

No.11 Virginia Tech Hokies (30-5, 9-1 ACC) only needed five innings to take care of the NC State Wolfpack (21-17, 4-9) with stellar performances from Emma Lemley in the circle and Cori McMillan at the plate.

Tech wasted no time in showing the Wolfpack what type of weekend they would be in store for. Singles from right fielder McMillan and first baseman Michelle Chatfield got the Hokies' bats going.

It took NC State pitcher Rylee Wyman until the fifth batter to record her first out. With the bases loaded, Tech centerfielder Bre Peck elevated a pitch to right field, which seemed deep enough to score Chatfield. Taylor Ensley, in one fluid motion, positions herself under the popup and launched a frozen rope home in time to complete the 9-2 double play.

Tech would work bases loaded once more in the first for catcher Zoe Yaeger, with the Wolfpack shaded for Yaeger to pull the ball to the left side of the field, she stayed back on her pitch---Forcing the ball down the right field line clearing the bases to give Tech the 4-0 lead.

Lemley would be called upon for her second straight start for the Hokies. Lemley made quick work of the first two batters, a common theme for the senior with a WHIP below 1.00 on the season. Until the Virginia native who has started every game for the Wolfpack, Kendall Simmers, connects with her pitch, sending a solo shot over the left field wall, lessening the deficit, 4-1.

Back-to-back singles in the top of the 2nd from McMillan and Chatfield posed to be another dangerous situation for Wyman. Not threatened by this, Wyman calls on her defense, resulting in Castine and Kylie Aldridge slapping the ball into the gloves of the Wolfpack.

Neither team would allow another baserunner until the bottom of the third, when Lemley would suffer a two-out full-count walk to junior Ellie Goins. The walk looked to build momentum to start a rally, but that was quickly wilted away when Lemley would force Ensley to ground out following the walk.

Tech, known for its home run hitting prowess, had a different approach in scoring today. Stringing together hits to cash in runners throughout the entire game. Three single-base knocks to start the fourth inning from Annika Rohs, Lyla Blackwell, and ultimately McMillan would send Rohs home for the Hokies' fifth run of the game.

Speedy outfielder Blackwell would scoot up 60 feet after a passed ball, and her aggressiveness resulted in another run for Tech, after a deep lineout from Chatfield gave Blackwell enough time to get home from third to total the score at 6-1.

The first and last hit for the Wolfpack came in the bottom of the fourth, after suffering a leadoff walk to Simmers, Hannah Church would send a ball through the 3-4 gap in the infield to put runners on first and second.

Mirroring the aggressiveness from the Hokies on the basepaths, NC State would seize its opportunity on a shallow foul putout beside first base, both runners tag up and were able to successfully advance 60 feet.

The veteran senior Hannah Goodwin came up to the plate looking for any chance to start clawing the Wolfpack back into the game. Lemley would force Goodwin to roll over, but the spin and bounce on the ball was too much for Castine to handle at second, allowing the run to score from third. Church would blow through third base, without breaking stride, attempting to steal one more from the Hokies, and a glove-side throw to Yaeger at home was quick enough to catch Church at home, limiting the damage.

Both starters remained in the game for both squads until the fifth, with runners on second and third and nobody out, NC State head coach Lindsay Leftwich would throw Wynne Gore in the circle in hopes of keeping it a four-run ballgame with three innings to play.

Gore would find her first out quickly, a sharp lineout from Rohs kept the runners put. Sloppy pitches ensued when Nora Abromavage checked in to pinch-hit for Blackwell. Jordan Lynch, who was on third, sprinted home after a wild pitch, and she was in safely across standing up without a throw. Gore let another pitch get away, hitting Abromavage to once again put two runners on base.

With the Hokies up five at this point, McMillan, who was now up to bat, represented the run needed to put the Hokies in contention for a run-rule victory. On her first pitch, McMillan pushes the ball high to the opposite field, bookending the scoring for the Hokies, coming across first after the double from Castine and then finishing up the scoring with her 240-foot trot around the bases.

Lemley was dominant from start to finish for the Hokies. A 94 pitch, two-hit outing was enough to secure the complete game victory for the senior.

The Hokies, with the win, extend their ACC win streak to seven games and their overall win streak to 11. Tech will ride this momentum into two more games against the Wolfpack this weekend, with the next game set for tomorrow at 5 p.m. Coverage available on the ACC Network.

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