ACC powerhouse Virginia Tech’s tight defense and unstoppable offense was too much for Boston College softball to overcome on Saturday and Sunday, and the No. 2 Hokies swept the Eagles to close out BC’s season.
Virginia Tech (40–6, 22–2) shut BC out 9–0 in a six-inning, mercy-rule win on Saturday before defeating the Eagles again on Sunday 8–4.
On Sunday, Virginia Tech scored eight runs before BC finally answered in the fifth inning. Kennedy Labshere hit a solo shot to left in the fifth to put the Eagles (20–27, 6–18 Atlantic Coast) on the board. Then, in the bottom of the sixth inning, Kamryn Warman hit a three-run homer to left, bringing in Hannah Slike and Abigail Knight.
BC’s late effort wasn’t enough to overcome Virginia Tech’s lead, though, and the Eagles ended their season with their seventh ACC series loss of the year.
On Saturday, Peyton Schnackenberg started on the mound for the Eagles, walking four batters and allowing 10 hits. Virginia Tech’s Emma Lemley, meanwhile, let up only three hits in the Hokies’ 9–0 win.
“I think we opened the door a ton for them today to be able to look as aggressive as they did,” BC head coach Amy Kvilhaug said after the game. “I think we could have done a better job to control the game from the defensive standpoint and pitching standpoint too.”
The Hokies took the lead early on, scoring four runs across the first three innings. BC failed to generate any substantial offense, and even when runners got on base, they failed to capitalize.
In the bottom of the third, the umpire called Ellie Mataya out at third base, and the Eagles challenged the call, but it stood to put a halt to BC’s chance at a comeback in the inning.
Mataya’s efforts stood out both on offense and on defense. In the top of the fifth, she sped from center field all the way to right field to make a diving catch, followed by a rocket throw to first to secure a double play.
“She saw that ball was questionable—it may have fallen in, she didn’t know if [Warman] would have a beat on it, so she said screw it, I’m going to come to right field and take the ball,” Kvilhaug said. “Ellie stepped up today. … It was a leadership move. I thought it was awesome.”
The sixth inning showed not only Mataya’s persistence, but BC’s determination to not walk off the field without putting up a fight.
Mataya began the inning with a double down the left-field line. Then, Lemley walked Slike to put a second runner on base. Kristin Giery and Kamryn Warman both ran up the pitch count in an attempt to keep the Eagles in the game, but both struck out looking.
“We didn’t make defensive plays we needed to make, [and] we’re getting runners on, they’re just not scoring them,” Kvilhaug said. “At the end of the day, it’s about how we perform, and the results will take care of themselves.
