The final home game of the regular season was a bit of a loss for the Virginia softball team, as the Cavaliers (28-14) lost 6-0 to No. 15 Virginia Tech (32-9-1) in the Commonwealth Clash. It ended in an unscrupulous way. Tuesday night at Palmer Park.
Emma Lemley powered the Hokies to victory, staying one step ahead of the UVA batting lineup from beginning to end, allowing only two hits and zero earned runs. Virginia managed only four base runners, and they never went beyond second base during the game.
In the second inning, No. 4 batter Cori McMillan hit a solo home run for Virginia Tech, scoring four runs and taking a big early lead. A single, a walk, and a fielding error loaded the bases, Kyle Aldridge hit an RBI single, and Addie Green hit a hit to shallow left-center, bringing home two more runs.
The Hokies added two more runs in the third inning with Bre Peck's solo home run and Aldridge's RBI double to make it 6-0.
This provided enough run support for Lemley to keep UVA's bats quiet until the finish line, clinching a 6-0 victory for Virginia Tech.
Because this game was scheduled outside of ACC play, it will not count toward either team's conference records. However, the Hokies are awarded 0.5 points in the 2023-2024 Commonwealth Clash, with Virginia currently leading 9.0 to 6.5. The remaining half points will be contested next Tuesday (4/23) when UVA and Virginia Tech meet again in Blacksburg.
But first, Virginia will head to Durham to face a tough ranked challenge in No. 3 Duke University. The three-game series begins Friday at 6 p.m., followed by the second game Saturday at 1 p.m., and the series concludes Sunday at 12 p.m.
