Carrico Cruises as Hokies Softball Flashes Leather to Even Series Against No. 19 Virginia
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — It becomes levels easier to win when your team's starting pitcher allows one earned run on three hits over seven innings, striking out five.
And it's even more facile when your left fielder makes two diving catches, the second of which ended the game.
Gobble Gobble 🦃#Hokies | #SmithfieldCommonwealthClash pic.twitter.com/6u11TdYpSg
— Virginia Tech Softball (@HokiesSoftball) April 11, 2026
Right-handed pitcher Bree Carrico and left fielder Nora Abromavage shut down No. 19 Virginia on Sunday as No. 11 Virginia Tech downed the Cavaliers, 5-2, at Palmer Park to even the series.
"I thought we did really well," Carrico said. "Bounced back from yesterday."
On a 1-2 count, Carrico's first batter, Cavaliers leadoff hitter Jade Hylton, lined a ball to left, but Abromavage made a diving snag to rob her of a hit.
With the Hokies up by three runs in the seventh, Abromavage did it again, robbing Hylton of a game-extending knock to seal the win and set up a rubber match Sunday.
"I thought it was great," Carrico said of the defense. "I needed them to step up. Obviously, we didn't do well yesterday on offense, but they came in today in the field working their butts off for me."
All season, the Hokies have emphasized staying in the moment — not dwelling on the past, and not peeking too far ahead.
"That's what softball is," said Tech head coach Pete D'Amour. "You're not going to be undefeated, and you're not going to hit 1.000. You're not going to have a 0.00 ERA. Can you come back the next day and do your best and see what happens?"
"It's been really important," Carrico said of the team's mentality. "We've bounced back from a lot of tough losses, and I think it just shows our resilience and how good that we can be. Just keep learning from those losses and learning what we can do better the next game has helped a lot."
The Hokies managed three hits in Friday's series opener, and did not notch any through the game's first 2 2/3 innings.
That stat, like the rest of the loss, was flushed. On Saturday, they had a knock after three pitches. They had three hits in the first frame, and eight after three innings.
Center fielder Addison Foster slapped a single to left field on a 1-1 count to lead off the game. After stealing second, she came around to score on a wild pitch and a throwing error by Hoos catcher Reagan Hickey.
Foster ended the afternoon 2-for-4 with an RBI, raising her batting average to .431.
"[Today was] a continuation of the year," D'Amour said of Foster. "She has good at-bats and swings at good pitches."
Tech piled on in the second. Foster singled to right, and third baseman Jordan Lynch followed suit, advancing to second on the throw. On the next at-bat, first baseman Michelle Chatfield drove a single through the left side of the infield, scoring two runs and extending the Hokies' lead to three.
"It was really helpful," Carrico said of the early offense. "Just to know that they have my back just as much as I have theirs. Getting a hit early was really important for this game.
"I had so much confidence that they would get it done at some point. I'm so proud of them for that."
Tech's early offense also marked the end of the afternoon for Cavaliers starting pitcher Courtney Lane, who exited after two frames. In that span, she surrendered three earned runs on six hits with a strikeout and a walk.
Carrico and Layne were teammates at Appomattox County High School in Appomattox, Va.
"It's kind of crazy to see [Layne] on the other side of the field," Carrico said. "But yeah, all love to her."
The Cavaliers plated their first run of the contest in the bottom of the frame as Hoos right fielder Madison Greene doubled into the corner in left to drive home second baseman Alex Call, who's three-run blast doomed the Hokies in game one.
The Hokies, as they have all season, punched back. Catcher Zoe Yaeger walked on four pitches to begin the third, and designated player Kylie Aldridge doubled. Then, second baseman Rachel Castine drew a full-count walk to load the bases for right fielder Gaby Mizelle.
Mizelle grounded into a fielder's choice where the Cavaliers got the force out at home plate, but shortstop Annika Rohs delivered the big swing of the inning on a 0-2 count, singling up the middle to bring Aldridge home. Foster then scored Castine on a sacrifice fly to right, raising Virginia Tech's lead to 5-1.
The Cavaliers closed the gap in the fifth when first baseman Macee Eaton lifted a sacrifice fly to left to score Hylton. But that was as close as they would get. With Abromavage's final putout, the Hokies secured a 5-2 win to even the series at one game apiece.
"I think we answered adversity really well," Carrico said. "I'm so proud of this team for how we came back today, and I just know we're going to come out the same way tomorrow."
The series between the Hokies and Hoos will be decided Sunday at 4 p.m. ET at Palmer Park.
