Virginia
Virginia Tech Softball: Tech Smolder Flames to Earn Season Sweep
In the second game of the season for these two in-state foes, the No.11 Virginia Tech Hokies (29-5, 8-1 ACC) did not allow a run in their 6-0 win over the No. 24 Liberty Flames (31-7, 11-0).
In the last contest, Emma Lemley, the Lynchburg area native, no-hit the Flames in a five-inning contest that was called due to run rule. She would once again be getting the start for Tech in the circle today.
The thought of Lemley riding her previous no-hitter into this game was nullified on the second pitch of the game, when Liberty infielder Savannah Woodard lined a soft double into left-center to start the game. Two walks drawn from Rachel Roupe and Brynn McManus would load the bases for Liberty. Lemley would extinguish the Flames’ attack, retiring the next two batters in succession to get out of the jam.
“I really think I just had trouble finding the umpire’s zone in the first inning. I usually never walk two people in the first inning of a game… I thought after the first inning it was going to be another 130-140 pitch game,” Lemley said. “I was just able to make adjustments, and re-focus, and center in, and just trying to spin the ball and get them out the rest of the game.”
Tech would ambush Liberty pitcher Elena Escobar early, with right fielder Cori McMillan leading off the bottom of the first with a no-doubt moonshot over the left field wall.
A double from infielder Rachel Castine would continue the rally for the Hokies before Bre Peck would ultimately cash in Castine with a warning track RBI single that would extend the Hokies’ lead, 2-0.
Catcher Zoe Yaeger would strike out, signaling the end for Escobar’s day, lasting just one inning. Similar to the last start against the Hokies, Liberty’s gameplan was to use Escobar as an opener and bring in Paige Bachman to do the heavy lifting in the circle today.
A lone single from Flames catcher Savannah Jessee was the only action until the bottom of the third. With two outs, Tech would bring a two-out rally into fruition—A single from Kylie Aldridge followed up by a four-pitch walk to Peck brought freshman Jordan Lynch up to the plate. After falling back 0-1 in the count, Lynch turned on her pitch, sending the ball soaring over the right field fence for a three-run home run.
“I was just seeing the ball very well… I knew I had to change up a little bit because they had just brought in a drop ball pitcher, so I really need to get under the ball… I swung and missed on the first, so I was like ok, let me reset, get the next one and then I hit it and it felt really good,” Lynch said.
Liberty would have its next scoring chance at the top of the fifth. A full-count sharply hit ball to Annika Rohs at shortstop caused some trouble in field, allowing Rachel Craine to reach base on an error. Woodard would wear a pitch to move Craine up 60 feet into scoring position. Lemley once again, in a jam with two outs, found her final two outs of the inning to escape unscathed.
The Hokies needed three runs to end the game early in the fifth due to run rule against the Flames once more. Another double from Aldridge and a passed ball that followed placed her at third with no outs. Peck would draw a walk to put runners on the corners, and Liberty head coach Dot Richardson decided Bachman’s day was done, making her last pitching change to sophomore Kaylan Yoder.
Lynch would tally her fourth RBI of the game, on Yoder’s first pitch, sending the ball blasting right back up the middle. With no outs, it looked like Tech could end this game early, but Yoder didn’t allow another hit in the inning.
Lemley would pitch herself into one more debacle, when it seemed like the Flames would amass their own two-out rally. A single from Paige Doerr would put runners on the corners for Liberty. Lemley, who focused in, would not let this attack rattle her, striking out Jessee to end the frame.
“We try to kind of preach pitch-to-pitch, just win this next pitch, and I think last weekend prepared me for those moments, because there were a lot of big moments… So when I have people on first and third like that, I’m just trying to keep that pitch-to-pitch mindset.”
Lemley would close out the game for the Hokies en route to a nine-strikeout performance, her fifth of the sort this season. Almost doubling her strikeout count from the five she picked up in Lynchburg.
Tech will now travel down to face the N.C. State Wolfpack in an ACC conference matchup in Raleigh, NC. The series will start Friday at 6 p.m. with coverage available on the ACC Network.
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Virginia Tech Softball: Hokies Walk off Stanford to Sweep Series
By the time the final out is logged in the Women’s College World Series on Monday, the 2024 WCWS championship series will be set.
And, win or lose, Mike White, Reese Atwood and Texas softball will have a say in who makes the best-of-three series.
REQUIRED READING: Watch Texas softball vs. Stanford live with Fubo (free trial)
The Longhorns to this point have looked every bit the part of the No. 1 national seed, giving up zero runs through two games in Oklahoma City. They got started with a 4-0 victory over Stanford, the No. 8 national seed, led by pitching phenom NiJaree Canady. They then turned around and thrashed No. 4 national seed Florida 10-0 in five innings. Perhaps more impressively, they allowed just one hit per game in those two victories.
Now Texas will look for one more victory to cement its spot in the WCWS championship series, again against Canady and the Cardinal. Stanford rebounded nicely from its opening loss to the Longhorns, downing Oklahoma State 8-0 in six innings on Friday and UCLA 3-1 on Sunday to get another crack at the Longhorns.
Should Stanford manage to get one back vs. UT, it will need another victory against the Longhorns to secure a spot in the championship series. Texas, meanwhile, needs just one win.
REQUIRED READING: Inside WCWS reunion of OU softball star Tiare Jennings, UCLA’s Maya Brady
With that, here’s how to watch Texas vs. Stanford in the WCWS semis, including time, TV and streaming info and more:
What channel is Texas vs Stanford softball on today?
Texas’ game vs. Stanford will air on ESPN. Should the Cardinal down the Longhorns, the winner-take-all game between the two will air on the same channel.
Streaming options for the game include the ESPN app, ESPN+ and Fubo, which offers a free trial.
Texas vs Stanford softball start time
- Date: Monday, June 3
- Time: 6 p.m. CT
First pitch for Texas and Stanford’s first game of the day is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT. If Texas loses the first game, the second will be scheduled for 8:30 p.m.
REQUIRED READING: Can pro softball learn from WNBA? How WCWS stars could grow Caitlin Clark-level success
Texas softball schedule 2024
Below is Texas’ postseason schedule. For the Longhorns’ full 2024 college softball schedule, click here.
Texas Regional
- Friday, May 17: Texas 5, Siena 0
- Saturday, May 18: Texas 14, Northwestern 2 (five innings)
- Sunday, May 19: Texas 7, Northwestern 0
Texas Super Regional
- Friday, May 24: Texas A&M 6, Texas 5
- Saturday, May 25: Texas 9, Texas A&M 8
- Sunday, May 26: Texas 6, Texas A&M 5
Women’s College World Series
- Thursday, May 30: Texas 4, Stanford 0
- Saturday, June 1: Texas 10, Florida 0 (five innings)
- Monday, June 3: Texas vs. Stanford
- Monday, June 3*: Texas vs. Stanford
* If necessary
Stanford softball schedule 2024
Below is Stanford’s postseason schedule. For the Cardinal’s full 2024 college softball schedule, click here.
Stanford Regional
- Friday, May 17: Stanford 8, Saint Mary’s 6
- Saturday, May 18: Stanford 2, Mississippi State 1
- Sunday, May 19: Cal State Fullerton 8, Stanford 1
- Sunday, May 19: Stanford 4, Cal State Fullerton 2
Stanford Super Regional
- Friday, May 24: LSU 11, Stanford 1 (five innings)
- Saturday, May 25: Stanford 3, LSU 0
- Sunday, May 26: Stanford 8, LSU 0 (six innings)
Women’s College World Series
- Thursday, May 30: Texas 4, Stanford 0
- Friday, May 31: Stanford 9, Oklahoma State 0 (six innings)
- Sunday, June 2: Stanford 3, UCLA 1
- Monday, June 3: Stanford vs. Texas
- Monday, June 3*: Stanford vs. Texas
* If necessary
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Call her Kali Clutch.
When Alabama softball’s bats have needed a boost in the weekend’s Tuscaloosa Regional, Kali Heivilin has had the answer. After sparking the Crimson Tide’s offense in an opening win against Jackson State on Friday night, the senior second baseman was back at it again Saturday, providing the go-ahead home run in Alabama’s 4-3 victory over Virginia Tech on Saturday.
“I kind of just go out there and understand that, ‘Hey, it’s your time to do something,’” Heivilin said following the win. “I just told myself put the ball in play, Audrey [Vandagriff’s] fast, something will happen.”
Alabama, which earned the No. 15 national seed in the NCAA Tournament, is now one win away from reaching its third straight super regional. The Tide will look to clinch the regional on Sunday as it plays either Virginia Tech, Belmont or Jackson State. Whichever one of those opponents ends up playing Alabama will need to beat the Tide twice to advance.
They’ll also need to solve Heivlin, something Alabama’s first two opponents have been unable to do this weekend.
Heivilin went 1-for-1 with a pair of walks against Virginia Tech, belting a two-run home run over the centerfield fence to give Alabama a 3-2 lead in the bottom third. Through two games in the regional, the senior is 3-for-4 with three walks, two runs and four RBIs.
During Friday’s win over JSU, Heivilin legged out a two-out infield single to score Alabama’s first run in the bottom of the third. That prompted a four-run rally, which ultimately led to a run-rule win over the Tigers.
Saturday’s victory over Virginia Tech required a bit more drama.
Alabama spotted the Hokies a pair of runs in the first inning as starting pitcher Jocelyn Briski struggled with her control. The Tide ace walked the first two batters of the frame before ultimately giving up a pair of earned runs on three hits.
Virginia Tech appeared to take a 3-0 lead on a two-run single to left with three outs. However, upon review, it was determined that left fielder Lauren Johnson’s throw to the plate beat Virginia Tech’s Bre Peck to the plate for the third out of the inning.
Heads-up baserunning allowed the Tide to get a run back in the bottom of the third as Brooke Ellestad scored from second on a dropped third strike with one out.
“That was all her,” Alabama head coach Patrick said of Ellestad’s decision to bolt for home. “She read the dropped third strike, and then she was past third andd on the throw, she took off. Seriously, it was all her. Very aggressive, and she made it easy. It wasn’t even close.”
With Alabama trailing 2-1, Audrey Vandagriff led off the bottom of the third with a walk before stealing second and advancing to third on a throwing error. The stolen base was Vandagriff’s 50th of the year, making her just the third Alabama player to achieve the feat in a single season.
Virginia Tech challenged the steal, arguing Vandagriff left first base too early. However, the call on the field was upheld, setting up Heivilin’s heroics two batters later.
“The challenge about her leaving early, she said something to me at third like, ‘I never leave early,’” Murphy said of his conversation with Vandagriff during the challenge. “I was like, ‘Please God, not this time.’ But that’s what you need from a baserunner — no fear at all of getting thrown out, and whatever happens happens.”
After a tumultuous first inning in the circle, Briski rebounded to pitch around trouble for the remainder of the game. The Alabama ace went a full seven innings, giving up three earned runs on seven hits while striking out five batters
Briski forced Virginia Tech to strand runners in scoring position in the first, second, fourth and seventh innings. After allowing the Hokies to cut Alabama’s lead to 4-3 with a solo home run in the top of the fifth inning, she retired eight of the final 11 batters she faced to close out the win.
“A lot of time, when I get into that trouble it’s the walks and everything,” Heiviln said when asked about her ability to rebound in the circle. “So being able to throw strikes, get ahead of the batters is the key in those kind of situations. Just trusting the defense to work. It’s just first-pitch strikes, second-pitch strikes and getting in the 1-2, 0-2 counts definitely allows me to use more of my chase pitches and everything. So I think that definitely made a big difference.”
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