BLACKSBURG, Va. — Virginia Tech softball has long gone by the adage “next man up” under the tenure of head coach Pete D’Amour.
Emma Mazz with her third strikeout of the day 👏Hokies 14, Eagles 0#Hokiespic.twitter.com/FiLcq2jIrL
— Virginia Tech Softball (@HokiesSoftball) March 29, 2026
But that doesn’t only apply to the Hokies’ hitting, which lost Cori McMillan and Bre Peck — and is now hitting at a .378 clip 35 games in. It applies to the pitching, as well, which, through 35 contests, has limited its opponents to a .200 batting average allowed. In that department, it’s been junior left-hander Emma Mazzarone who has taken the baton as the Hokies’ No. 1.
Mazzarone has appeared in 15 games this season, going for a team-high five complete games and racking up a 2.19 ERA — second on the team behind Bree Carrico (1.33). Through 70 1/3 frames, she has conceded only 46 hits and 26 runs (22 earned), while accumulating a team-high 102 strikeouts…