Nora Abromavage Launches Two Run Homer in the Seventh to Walk Off North Carolina

BLACKSBURG, Va. — As hope seemed to be on the edge of cratering, Virginia Tech sophomore left fielder Nora Abromavage flipped the script in the bottom of the frame, launching an opposite field homer to walk off the Tar Heels, 6-5.

Sealed the deal.😤#Hokies | @DeltaDentalofVA pic.twitter.com/t8UgTDU16Z
— Virginia Tech Softball (@HokiesSoftball) April 25, 2026

After earning only one start in the Hokies (39-9, 13-6 ACC) lineup during her freshman campaign in 2025, Abromavage is working through a breakout sophomore season, which just added a career-worthy highlight to its resume.

“I went up thinking I’m not going to let her get me twice,” Abromavage said. “I think I changed my approach from pull side to more middle of the field.”

It also may have come at the lowest point so far in Tech’s season, though with nine overall losses this season, it’s hard to pinpoint any other skid. Friday’s contest pitted the Hokies in the same situation for the fourth straight contest, a peculiar sight: They entered the bottom of the seventh trailing.

Unlike the last three matchups of the season for Tech, it had led against the Tar Heels (31-16, 9-13) earlier in the affair, and multiple times at that in both the fourth and sixth.

As the Hokies stepped into the bottom of the seventh down a run, they needed any offensive spark that Tech could muster. It came early as first baseman Michelle Chatfield watched four straight balls delivered from North Carolina relief pitcher Kendall Frost, as she earned a free pass.

“It was just, [the] score [is] 0-0,” exclaimed Chatfield on her mindset stepping up in the seventh. “Get base runners, fight back. We know we can come back from any deficit, no matter what.”

Designated player Kylie Aldridge moved Chatfield over into scoring position with a soft grounder back to the circle, but it ultimately didn’t matter where Chatfield was standing.

Abromavage dug into the right handed batters box in Tech’s five-hole; after swinging through Frost’s first hurl, Abromavage powerfully pushed her second delivery into the parking lot beyond right field for the walk-off two run shot.

A pair of home runs encompassed the affair’s opening runs, on both sides of the plate during an early pitcher’s duel between freshman Bree Carrico (VT) and Jil Livengood (UNC).

Texas Tech transfer Raegan Jennings took Carrico deep on a two-out look in the top of the second, and the Hokies took until the fourth to respond.

Livengood’s first time of the lineup was well executed, as she kept Tech hitless through 12 batters, until junior Michelle Chatfield stepped in to leadoff the fourth.

The second pitch of the inning was turned on by Chatfield, as she drilled it into perfect right center; seeing this, the Hokies built up some momentum after a grim three innings with a two out single from catcher Zoe Yaeger.

“The whole time, we were on [Livengood], so seeing Chatfield making the adjustment just sparked that everybody can hit her,” Abromavage said.

Tech’s first lead in a calendar week came a batter later from fifth-year senior Rachel Castine, slapped a double into right center which sent Yaeger in a full 180-foot sprint home to the large and loud excitement of both the dugout and Hokie faithful.

Each time Tech found itself up in the bottom half of a frame, North Carolina grabbed the lead back quickly in the next top half, starting in the fifth with a two-out single from Michele Tarpey on Carrico’s 0-2 delivery with the bases loaded. The graduate transfer tabbed her 32nd RBI of the season with her go-ahead single which put the Tar Heels ahead, 3-2.

Livengood worked into the fifth before allowing two Hokies to reach by way of plunking leadoff batter Addison Foster on a one-out delivery, and then Chatfield slapped her second base knock of the afternoon, ending her outing in the circle.

Frost escaped the jam she inherited in the fifth, but she wasn’t able to keep the Hokies off the scoreboard in the sixth.

Tech head coach Pete D’Amour put his chess skills on full display in the sixth, with a flurry of substitutions, starting with outfielder Lyla Blackwell pinch running for Aldridge after a walk. Then, with the bases loaded, he pinch hit freshman Jordan Bishop with the bases loaded.

“She’s been swinging well in practice,” D’Amour said about Bishop.

Bishop stepped in for her 12th at bat of the season, but it would never be recorded as she wore Frost’s pitch for her fifth RBI of the year, tying the contest up at three.

Emma Mazzarone, Tech’s normal Friday arm, saw her first action in the series with a pinch hit look after Bishop’s hit-by-pitch with a fielder's choice dribbler back to the circle.

As Mazzarone stepped in for the Hokies’ nine-hole batter, Annika Rohs, that rolled the lineup over still with the bases loaded for Foster, as she drew the go-ahead walk.

As Tech batted itself into a save scenario, Mazzarone entered to pick up that duty in the top of the seventh, but allowed back-to-back one-out full count walks to pose a slight threat.

Third baseman Shelby Barbee extended the game further by slapping a single up the middle and scoring Radford transfer Lexie Roberts. The Tar Heels found their last go-ahead run off an unforced error by the Hokies as Mazzarone bounced her delivery off Yaeger’s catching gear, sending the ball down the third base line and allowing pinch runner Sahara Wilson to skirt home.

Tech picked up a confidence boosting win over North Carolina, and while it wasn’t dire, the win nonetheless feels like it. The Hokies can pick up the series victory tomorrow at 3 p.m. ET, with coverage available on the ACC Network.

“We didn’t freak out, much better attitude and feeling tonight,” D’Amour said.

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