WOMEN'S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES: BATON ROUGE REGIONAL

May 16, 2026

Pete D'Amour

Jordan Lynch

Zoe Yaeger

Tiger Park

Virginia Tech Hokies

Postgame Press Conference

LSU 8, Virginia Tech 0

PETE D'AMOUR: Tip your cap to LSU. They had a good game plan. They played clean. Played a well-played game today. Just for us, we've got to regroup, see who we play tonight, and then get ready to roll tomorrow.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about the pitcher you faced. Looked like you all struggled to square the ball up or to get something that wasn't on the ground?

JORDAN LYNCH: Yeah, she did a really good job, and that's really all it is. She had a good game. We were spraying balls out just right at people. We're excited for the next pitcher we're going to face.

ZOE YAEGER: Like she said, I think we actually squared a lot of balls up. They just went right to people. And only walked one person. So I think that was the key for her. But again I think we were just hitting it right to people.

Q. First time (indiscernible) all year. What was it about this pitcher that proved so difficult to get anything going?

JORDAN LYNCH: She actually just pounded the zone. She did a really good job. Like Zoe said, she didn't walk anyone. She threw a lot of strikes. We did hit balls hard right at people. And that's pretty much it.

Q. What do you guys see (indiscernible) from the performance of your teammates today?

ZOE YAEGER: I'm sure they'll tell you that they didn't do a great job. I know Maz wants that one back. She'll get her opportunity tomorrow and she'll be ready. Avery did a great job. I wish we could have put up some runs for her. But I didn't think it was a bad job at all by her. Looking forward to tomorrow.

Q. I know it's a silver lining, but can you speak to the defensive play you saw from the outfield (indiscernible)?

JORDAN LYNCH: I think they did an awesome job backing up their pitcher. That was really cool to see. But, yeah, that's pretty much it. That's all I've got.

ZOE YAEGER: Great catches. That's what we've been doing all year. So it was cool to see.

Q. Three players you faced with 3-2 hits. What was challenging you behind that?

JORDAN LYNCH: It wasn't really challenging. I just think we squared balls up, but they didn't drop at the right time. They were right at people. So, yeah, we got three lead-off runners on base, then we hit balls hard after that, and they happened to make the play. So that was pretty much it.

Q. How do you regroup a team for the next one?

JORDAN LYNCH: We just look at the one in front of us. We don't think about what -- like, yeah, we're going to think about it, but we're not going to dwell on it. We're just going to look at what's ahead of us and go give the next team our best.

ZOE YAEGER: Coach P talked about the 2022 team here that lost on Saturday, won three games in a row to make it to Supers against UCLA. So I don't see why we can't do that either.

Q. What was your impression of the LSU pitcher? Why was this the first time you've been shut out this year?

PETE D'AMOUR: She's a strike-thrower, but she has good control. So you go in thinking you're going to be aggressive because she does throw strikes; that doesn't necessarily mean a strike is something good to hit or swing at. So I think we got into some good counts. Balls were around the plate. And we put swings on balls that maybe we should have taken instead of just get to another one.

Q. (Indiscernible) finished with five walks in one-plus innings today. What made it a struggle for her to hit the strike zone today?

PETE D'AMOUR: Might have been a mental thing. I don't know. Maybe the game got too fast for her. Maybe the crowd. But it really doesn't matter. She's thrown well all year in environments similar to this. So you've just got to shake it off and get ready to throw tomorrow or tonight, whenever we play.

Q. What did you think of the pitching performance as a whole, and then from Layton and Kleiman in relief?

PETE D'AMOUR: You see the stat line. Kind of answers it for itself. Didn't play clean today. I think we had nine walks. So I think we've just got to pound the strike zone and make our defense, let them work and get quick innings. And if people hit the ball, I'm fine with that. But yeah, just fill it up a little bit more.

Q. First time you've been (indiscernible) all year. Was LSU the best team you've played this year?

PETE D'AMOUR: Subjective. I don't know. We played a lot of good teams. Just happened that they run-ruled us, but we've played good teams this year. So I can't tell you who's the best one.

Q. You played six regular season games against SEC opponents on the road this year. You won all of them. This one didn't go the same way. Wonder, is there anything psychologically different playing teams in the NCAA tournament versus the regular season? Anything different there?

PETE D'AMOUR: No, we don't see it as a regional or postseason. It's just a game. But you're playing at their place, and it's kind of win or go home. So there is an element of pressure that you don't face early season. But again, our kids pitch to pitch, game to game, see what happens tomorrow.

Q. You talked on the broadcast about your hitters kind of being in touch late on the pitches. How do you change that going into tonight and then potentially tomorrow?

PETE D'AMOUR: Well, it's just get your foot up a little sooner. It's arguably the best offensive year Virginia Tech has ever had. It's not arguably. It is. Our kids know how to adjust. And I thought what the kids said was right, the first at-bat of the game, Addy, Addy crushed one. Then you have Rachel hit one hard and Kylie hit one hard and Michelle. It's not just like we laid down. We lit some balls hard. We've just gotta get through.

Q. Is there anything that a pitching coach can help with the (indiscernible) balls, or is it just about execution?

PETE D'AMOUR: Yeah, I would say there is if our season wasn't great. Our kids have thrown well. They've thrown well the last two weeks. So it's more of a reset and let's go out and see what happens. You can ask that about me, too, what's the hitting coach have to do, because you got two hits today? Well, not much. I mean, our record's pretty good offensively.

It's more of a mental thing. Just reset. We know we can pitch. We can hit. We can defend. Just take a shower and try to do it tomorrow or tonight.

Q. Really good pitching from Emma and Avery lately. Was the strike zone smaller, each of those walks, I guess? Or what do you make of today being -- the control being an issue?

PETE D'AMOUR: Trying to get me fired, Mark. No, strike zones are the same for both teams. That's never an excuse on our end.

It's more just be finer. Make pitches in the strike zone and make it move and just try to get outs. But that's all we really try to do.

Q. Seven of LSU's eight hits came from three players. Was there anything different that they were doing as opposed to the rest of the lineup, or was that the pitching plan from your own team?

PETE D'AMOUR: No, I think we missed some spots, but when you get to this level and they're the 1 seed, they've got nine hitters in their lineup. You have to be locked in for all nine. So I couldn't tell you what it was. Just make better pitches to each hitter.