Nora Abromavage Sparks Virginia Tech Softball in ACC Tournament Win Over UNC
With the tension of postseason play thick in the air at Duke Softball Stadium, Virginia Tech turned to a fresh face to break through against a formidable North Carolina squad in the opening round of the ACC Tournament. True freshman Nora Abromavage delivered a clutch performance beyond her years, propelling the Hokies to a 4-0 shutout victory and solidifying her status as a rising star in the program.
Coming off the bench in the bottom of the fifth with the game locked in a scoreless stalemate, Abromavage stepped into the box as a pinch hitter with two runners aboard. UNC ace Skyler Brooks had kept the Hokies quiet through four innings, mixing speeds and locations with surgical precision. But Abromavage—undeterred by the pressure and unbothered by her inexperience—squared up a 1-1 fastball and roped it down the left-field line. The crack of the bat echoed across the stadium as both runners scored, giving Tech the first lead of the game and electrifying the Hokie dugout.
“I just trusted my preparation and stayed within myself,” Abromavage said postgame. “Coach told me to be ready, and I knew my moment might come. I just wanted to help my team win.”
Her double sparked a four-run rally that chased Brooks from the game. Two batters later, senior Kelsey Bennett added a two-run single to cap the inning, but it was Abromavage’s bat that lit the flame.
On the other side of the ball, Virginia Tech ace Emma Lemley was dominant from start to finish. The junior right-hander tossed a complete-game two-hit shutout, striking out nine and issuing just one walk. Lemley commanded the strike zone with pinpoint control, keeping the Tar Heels off balance with a devastating rise ball and a late-breaking curve. She retired the side in order in five of the seven innings, allowing just two UNC baserunners to reach scoring position.
“This team feeds off energy, and Nora gave us the spark we needed,” Lemley said. “Once we got that lead, it was just about locking in and finishing the job.”
The win marked Virginia Tech’s sixth shutout of the season and sent them into the ACC semifinals with momentum. While veterans like Bennett and Lemley provided leadership and experience, it was the freshman phenom from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, who stole the spotlight.
Head coach Pete D’Amour praised Abromavage’s readiness and poise under pressure. “Nora’s been working hard all year, waiting for her opportunity. We had a hunch she’d be ready, and she proved us right,” he said. “That’s a big-time moment for a true freshman.”
As the Hokies chase their first ACC Tournament title since 2007, Abromavage’s emergence could be the X-factor they didn’t know they needed. One swing changed the game—and perhaps the tournament—for a Virginia Tech squad peaking at the perfect time.
