Virginia Tech softball blasts six home runs on doubleheader sweep of Louisville

Two days after Emma Lemley fired her fourth no-hitter of the season in a 2-0 win over Kentucky, the Virginia Tech. softball team kicked off a three-game weekend series at Louisville with what has turned into a quirky schedule.

The teams were supposed to play one game each day, but with weather expected to be an issue on Saturday in the area, the teams played a doubleheader on Friday and will take Saturday off before finishing the series on Sunday. After taking the first game off, Lemley pitched in the nightcap and, other than a first inning mistake, she was again on top of her game as the Hokies swept the day to improve to 22-5 overall and 4-1 in the ACC.

The Hokies never trailed on the day and jumped to an early 3-0 lead in Game 2 when Cori McMillan led off the game with a home run and two batters later, Rachel Castine made it 3-0 with a two-run shot. Louisville cut the deficit to 3-2 with a two-run homer of their own off the bat of Char Lorenz, but after that, Lemley was all business.

Lemely allowed four hits, walked three and struck out five and got run support in the top of the seventh when Lyla Blackwell began the inning with a bunt single and two batters later Michelle Chatfield launched a two-run homer for a 5-2 lead.

In the opener, the Hokies used the long-ball to score early and often against the Cardinals. Kylie Aldridge cleared the bases in the top of the second with a single that turned into an error before McMillan followed with a two-run homer. That was just the beginning on the Virginia Tech home run barrage in Game 1.

Chatfield drilled a two-run homer in the third and Aldridge launched a solo shot of her own in the fifth for a 10-0 lead and after Sophie Kleiman retired Louisville in the bottom of the fifth, the game was ended. Kleiman gave up two hits, walked three and struck out two to improve to 6-0. Game 3 will be played Sunday at Noon and broadcast on ACC Network Extra.