LSU Tigers Snuff Virginia Tech's 2026 Season Flame with Sunday Win

After 60 games played, the 2026 season came to an end for Virginia Tech; the Hokies dropped the season finale to No. 16 LSU, 7-2, in Baton Rouge, La.

Virginia Tech's season ends in the Regional Final in Baton Rouge. LSU 7, Virginia Tech 2

Thank you Hokie Nation for following along all season.#Hokies pic.twitter.com/sW7nIqGU2Z
— Virginia Tech Softball (@HokiesSoftball) May 17, 2026

Sunday’s slate of a possible two games came to fruition after LSU (40-17, 13-11 SEC) served the Hokies (48-12, 18-6 ACC) their first run-rule defeat of the season on Saturday.

"Yeah, our kids were ready to go," said Virginia Tech head coach Pete D'Amour. "Never sensed any fear."

Tech survived an elimination game against Akron later Saturday evening with a six-run seventh inning against the Zips, and a similar heroic effort was needed for Tech to force a game two on Sunday.

It wasn’t spelled that way from the get-go, as it was Tech that struck first against LSU, riding that seventh-inning momentum from Saturday into the first at-bat of Sunday afternoon.

" We started off how we wanted to," first baseman Michelle Chatfield said. "We went at them from the beginning, and we did what we could do."

Stetson transfer Addison Foster opened against senior arm Paytn Monticelli with a double pushed into left, before third baseman Jordan Lynch picked up her second base knock of the regional, an RBI single she pulled down the right field line.

Nine-hole batter Annika Rohs, coming off a 2-for-3 contest against Akron, poked a two-out single up the middle in her first at-bat.

Rohs snuck over to second on a passed ball, before full-charging home on a dribbler hit to second off the bat of Foster. Foster beat out the bang-bang play at first, when redshirt sophomore Tori Edwards fired home for the second bang-bang play in seconds, both of which got the safe call, as Rohs made it a 2-0 contest.

From there, that was the Hokies last bit of offense, not in any figurative sense, as the Tech batters got sat down in order over the next 16 at bats.

"I think her ability to change speeds and just kind of get us a little off balance and letting us pop fly out a little bit here and there," senior Kylie Aldridge said.

After it seemed to be an off-timing day against LSU on Saturday, the Hokies went for a much more aggressive approach in the second game against the Tigers, but it only went in LSU's favor. Virginia Tech flew out on 15 at-bats.

"Mixing speeds. Didn't throw too much over the plate," D'Amour said about Monticelli. I think we got a little bit too aggressive at the end trying to get five-run homer. But I'd rather have our kids be more aggressive than passive."

In the final five innings at the dish outside of the fourth frame, the Hokies' 12 outs went down on just a mere 31 pitches, with six of those at-bats being within the first two pitches of the encounter.

"I think we were more aggressive today, and I think that showed in the first few innings," Chatfield said. "Whether or not it paid off towards the end of thegame, that's okay. I think we got some good swings off."

The ACC Freshman of the Year, Bree Carrico, got her second start of the regional, after getting her 15th victory of the year over South Alabama, and she continued that starting momentum with two scoreless frames.

To lead off the third, and as the lineup rolled over for leadoff batter Jalia Lassiter launched a home run into left field, instantly halfing the Hokies advantage with one swing.

A one out walk and single placed two runners in scoring position for senior catcher Maci, Bergeron, who had two RBI against the Hokies on Saturday.

She matched her RBI total from game one in the regional finale on a four-pitch at-bat with two outs, singling under the diving mitts of Tech in the 5-6 gap. This gave LSU the lead that it never relinquished, 3-2.

For added insurance in the frame alone, two batters later when Bergeron was standing in scoring position herself, designated player Ally Hutchins knocked her in with a double into right.

Hutchins tabbed the final and seventh RBI as well, in the sixth for extra measure with runners on the corners as she bounced a fast grounder off third base itself high into the air.

It wasn't just Hutchins and Bergeron who penciled in multi RBI affairs, as in the fifth Lassiter legged out an infield single that Rohs had to dive to keep from going up the middle, and kept a runner at third.

Only for so long, as second baseman Sierra Daniel hit into a one out fielder's choice to second base, which score that run from third.

The Hokies' 48 wins in 2026 were the most since 2008 — the season that Virginia Tech, anchored by Angela Tincher, qualified for the Women's College World Series.

Virginia Tech softball's 48 wins in 2026 were the most since the 2008 season (49-19). #Hokies
— Thomas Hughes (@thomashughes_05) May 17, 2026

"48-12. It's a big number," D'Amour said. "So this loss is going to sting — and it should. If it means something to you, if being part of this team means something to you, then this loss will sting."

Five seniors depart from Blacksburg after the regional, as the Hokies eventually look towards the diamond activities in the fall.

"I've been sitting at this table, what are you going to do when Keely Rochard graduates or Emma Ritter or [Emma] Lemley," D'Amour said. "It's the same every year. It's just try to reload and make your kids better and win as many games as you can."

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