Emma Mazzarone, Sierra Maness Fire Seven Full Frames Each with Game One Falling in Clemson's Favor 4-2

BLACKSBURG — Both the No. 11/12 Virginia Tech Hokies' starter Emma Mazzarone and Clemson Tigers' arm, Sierra Maness, fired a complete seven innings in the circle in opposition; with Clemson taking the low scoring affair, 4-2.

"Good softball game, just came up short," said Hokies head coach Pete D'Amour.

For the Tigers (25-13, 7-6 ACC) it was a three-run moon shot off the bat of freshman third baseman Sarah Breaux that was the deciding factor in the top of the second inning.

Final: Hokies 2, Tigers 4#Hokies pic.twitter.com/22cm8zHEVH
— Virginia Tech Softball (@HokiesSoftball) April 3, 2026

Breaux's homer, which was the first of her career, and was Clemson's 30th home run of the season, which sits 10th in the ACC, opened the scoring against the Hokies (31-5, 7-3) in the top of the second.

The freshman, who sits in the eigh-hole, barely got an opportunity to even bat in the second, after Mazzarone worked through the first two outs of the inning in a quick four pitches. From there, second baseman Marian Collins dribbled a swinging bunt back to Mazzarone who was unable to make a quick transfer and delivery to Michelle Chatfield at first.

"You get out the first out, on that play at first and it's a different inning," D'Amour said.

Tiger's catcher Corri Hicks then worked the first seven full counts in the contest against Mazzarone, ending with a seven-pitch walk that allowed Breaux to dig into the box for her home run at bat.

Tech was able to muster a short rally a half inning later in the bottom of the fourth, when the Hokies poked three singles in the inning which helped amount two runs.

Designated player Kylie Aldridge grounded a one-out single up the middle which opened the singles parade, when freshman Gaby Mizelle followed right after with her first of three hits in the contest, a sliced single into right field.

Nine-hole batter Annika Rohs nabbed the first RBI for the maroon-and-orange, as Aldridge skirted to third on Mizelle's single, a fielders choice groundball to Tigers shortstop Kiley Channell was all that was needed to bring Aldridge the 60 feet home.

As the lineup rolled over, Foster watched four straight balls pass for a five-pitch walk which brought up the reigning ACC Player of the Week Jordan Lynch, who rocketed a single into the right center gap, scoring Mizelle from second and capped Tech's scoring early in the contest at two runs.

"I was just looking for a strike, something I can drive and that's what I did," Lynch said.

All four of Clemson's runs came with two outs, as in the fourth, Tigers' nine-hole, Taylor Pipkins, pulled a single through the 5-6 gap in the infield on the first pitch of her at bat. Her second time seeing Mazzarone, she was ready to pounce after their first battle of the contest saw Pipkins get fanned on three vicious high velocity deliveries from Mazzarone.

After allowing the two-out RBI in the fourth, Mazzarone fired through the final 10 outs of the contest while only allowing two base runners, both off a walk and error.

Tech's success at the plate was similar to barcode of sorts, as it had the success at the plate, yet the Hokies could never find that string of hits outside of the second, or as they were never able to hit a ball out of the park. Outside of the third and fifth frames, the Hokies tallied a hit in each inning, yet a 2-for-10 split at the plate with runners in scoring created the lapse in scoring for Tech.

The Hokies will look to even out the contest tomorrow, Friday, April 3, at 6 p.m. ET. If Tech is successful in evening the series, the rubber match will be at the same time on Saturday, with coverage available both contests via the ACC Network Extra.