Virginia Tech softball rolled into the NCAA Tournament with a 40-win season under its belt, thanks to a solid mix of pitching, hitting, and clean defense. But things got off to a rough start when they were left out of the national seed list and sent packing to the Tuscaloosa Regional, hosted by 15th-seeded Alabama instead of staying home.
They handled Belmont easily on Friday, cruising to a 5-0 win behind ace Emma Lemley, setting up a big Saturday showdown with Alabama. A win would’ve punched their ticket to the regional final, but instead, the Hokies stumbled—hard.
Things started off well enough. Virginia Tech jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, thanks to RBI singles from Bre Peck and Emily LeGette. Peck looked like she added a third run, but after a review, the call at the plate was overturned—and that moment ended up looming large.
Alabama came roaring back, scoring four unanswered runs, mostly thanks to uncharacteristic defensive blunders by the Hokies. Normally locked-in defensively, Tech coughed up three errors that gave Bama all the openings they needed.
Kylie Aldridge tried to spark a rally with a solo homer in the fifth, cutting the lead to 4-3, but that was as close as they’d get. Despite outhitting Alabama 7-3, those defensive hiccups proved fatal.
The Hokies had one last chance in the seventh, putting two runners on, but Alabama’s Jocelyn Briski shut the door with a game-ending flyout. Now Tech finds themselves in the loser’s bracket, fighting to stay alive on Saturday night.
Tough break for a team that’s been so steady all season—just a few sloppy plays at the wrong time turned a potential win into a frustrating loss.
