Emma Mazzarone allowed one hit in four innings, helping No. 16 Virginia Tech softball cruise to a 9-0 win over Boston College Saturday.
The Hokies’ (30-9-1, 13-4 ACC) freshman lefty shut down the Eagles (24-15, 5-9 ACC) all afternoon. Her only blemishes were a first-inning double and two walks. She struck out five batters.
Boston College was consistently behind Mazzarone’s speed, which she mixed effectively to keep her opponent off guard.
“We were just sticking to what I normally throw — the drop ball and changeup,” Mazzarone told Tech Sideline after the game. “I just kept throwing it in there until they could hit it.”
Across two games this series, Boston College has amassed just three hits.
“The thing with Maz is she just needs to throw strikes,” Virginia Tech head coach Pete D’Amour said. “When she’s in the strike zone, she’s hard to hit for anybody. That’s all it was.”
Tech scored runs in all four of its offensive innings, notching three in the first and second, two in the third and one in the fourth. It took advantage of seven walks and only struck out twice.
Third baseman Bre Peck broke the game open with a three-run homer in the second inning. Before her knock, the Hokies held a 3-0 lead. Afterwards, the game was out of reach.
“I was just in there and I cleared my mind,” Peck said. “My mind was closed, so I just swung on that.”
Peck’s homer was her 11th of the season, including her second in three games.
“That’s Bre,” D’Amour said. “She’s having a good year. She’s been a good player for us for a long time, so it’s not surprising.”
Second baseman Cameron Fagan added three RBI of her own, two from a first-inning single and one from a fourth-inning homer.
Fagan spent the first 36 games of the season batting third in the lineup, but moved to sixth after Tech dropped four consecutive ACC games. Since then, she has three home runs and nine RBI, contributing to four straight run-rule wins.
“She’s playing loose and relaxed,” D’Amour said. “She’s always been a good player, and when we moved her down in the lineup, it freed herself up a little bit.”
The Hokies led from the start. With the bases loaded in the first inning, Peck walked to score left fielder Addy Greene, and Fagan’s two-RBI single made it 3-0.
After Peck’s three-run homer in the second that made it 6-0, Tech added insurance runs in the third when shortstop Annika Rohs scored designated player Maija Louko on a bunt and when Greene hit an RBI double. And with the Hokies up 8-0 in the fourth, Fagan’s home run put the game out of reach.
Molly Jacobson relieved Mazzarone in the last frame and, aside from a walk, shut down the Eagles in order.
Halie Pappion and Addison Jackson both threw two innings for the Eagles. Papillon allowed three hits and five walks, culminating in six runs allowed — although just three were earned. Jackson gave up three runs and four hits while walking two to eat the last two frames.
With their win on Saturday, the Hokies have achieved 30 wins in each of their last four full seasons — and were 21-4 in 2020 when the season was shut down.
Tech will look to build on its success in the last game of the series against the Eagles on Sunday at noon ET.
Box Score: No. 16 Virginia Tech 9, Boston College 0 (5 innings)
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Love this team! Go Hokies Softball!!!