Pitcher Emma Lemley entered into Virginia Tech’s Sunday matchup expecting celebrate the athletic department’sHokie Hi: Weekend at Home, but there was a surprise she couldn’t have anticipated.
After the Hokies’ 15-1 win over Notre Dame, ESPN commentator and general manager within the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) Jenny Dalton-Hill came down from the booth and onto the field to present Lemley with a golden ticket. The golden ticket signified Lemley was drafted to the league for the inaugural season.
Over the next few weeks, golden tickets will be presented to college softball players at programs across the country. The AUSL College Draft Show will air on Saturday, May 3 at 9 p.m. on ESPNU to reveal which team Lemley and the other draftees are selected to.
Lemley is a senior out of Forest, Virginia. She is putting together the best season of her collegiate career with a 15-3 record and 1.91 ERA. Lemley has made 25 appearances for the Hokies this season with 17 starts.
On March 12 versus Kentucky, Lemley threw her fourth no-hitter of the season and leads the nation in no-nos.
Earlier this season, Lemley had an even more impressive feat, throwing back-to-back perfect games. Her first was against UT-Arlington on February 14. Five days later, she did it again against No. 22 Northwestern. That gem marked a season-high 16 strikeouts through 7.0 scoreless innings for her.
She’s thrown 13 complete games and ranks in the Top 20 in the country for total strikeouts with 146 K’s on the season.
Lemley has made an impact for the Hokies since her freshman season when she earned ACC Freshman of the Year honors and was named to the 2022 NFCA Mid-Atlantic Region First Team.
More golden ticket moments will happen on college campuses in the weeks leading up to the draft.
Follow @theAUSLofficial on social media to see where the next golden ticket pops up. Tune in on May 3 on ESPNU at 9 p.m. as the AUSL College Draft Show reveals which teams drafted each athlete and the order in which those players were selected.
The AUSL is a professional women’s softball league featuring four teams playing in a traditional format. Tickets to the 2025 season are on sale now.
Savanna Collins is the Senior Reporter for the AUSL. You can follow her on X @savannaecollins.
