Clutch Hits Help Hokies Softball Run-Rule Elon 9-1

Although the No. 21 Hokies didn’t completely dominate Elon on Wednesday afternoon, they got clutch hits when needed on the way to a 9-1, six-inning run-rule win over the Phoenix.

Eight of Virginia Tech’s runs were with two outs and three pitchers combined for a three-hitter as the Hokies moved to 8-2-1 on the season.

“We played well enough to win tonight,” Tech head coach Pete D’Amour told Tech Sideline after the game. “I thought we hit a lot of balls that just missed going out. It was also good to get our pitchers some work.”

Cassie Grizzard got the start in the circle for the Hokies and threw two perfect innings. She was relieved by Emma Lemley in the third, who also threw two scoreless innings, although she did surrender two hits and walked three. But she ended Elon threats in both frames with key strikeouts.

Emma Mazzarone pitched the last two innings and gave up only one hit, but it was a triple down the first-base line that scored Elon’s only run of the night.

Offensively, the Hokies were led by Radford transfer Cori McMillan, who had a triple and a home run in her first home game in Tech Softball Park. McMillan, who homered in TSP last year as a member of the Highlanders, scored the first Tech run in the third with a triple down the right-field line. She added a two-run bomb in the fifth inning.

“I actually texted Coach Pete on Sunday that I start off every season slow and to trust me, it’s coming,” McMillan said after the game. “And he said, ‘I know it is.’ So it felt really good doing this tonight, especially before playing Radford this weekend.”

After McMillan scored on an error after her triple in the second, Addy Greene extended the Tech lead with a double that drove in Michelle Chatfield in the third. Cameron Fagan brought home Kylie Aldridge with her sixth double of the year in the fourth to make it 3-0.

McMillan’s bomb in the fifth increased the margin to 5-0, and after Elon got on the board in the top of the sixth, the Hokies ended it with four runs in the bottom of the frame.

Emma Ritter singled to lead off the inning, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Fagan single. Teagan Thrunk also scored on a wild pitch and Chatfield, who had singled, scored on a Bre Peck double. Emily LeGette beat out an infield hit and Peck never slowed down as she scored the winning run from second.

The Hokies will now travel to Athens, Ga., for the Georgia Classic where they will play two games against the No. 3 Bulldogs, two games against Radford and a single game vs. Dartmouth. They’ll return home next weekend to open ACC play against Notre Dame.

Box Score: No. 21 Virginia Tech 9, Elon 1 (6 innings)