Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG, Va. – The Virginia Tech baseball team fought off a late rally by rival Virginia to claim a 9-8 victory over the 10th-ranked Cavaliers on Friday night at English Field, clinching its third ACC series of the season.
Left fielder Klint Reed and first baseman Austin Wates combined to tally seven hits and four runs scored for the victors, who improved to 32-20 overall and 12-16 in league play. Reed is now 12 for his last 21 with 10 runs scored, while Wates upped his batting average to .395 with three singles.
Starting pitcher Justin Wright picked up his seventh win of the year against just two losses, while reliever Ben Rowen earned his fourth save.
Despite the victory, Duke’s win earlier in the day over Georgia Tech mathematically eliminated the Hokies from next week’s ACC Tournament no matter the outcome of Saturday’s series and regular season finale, which is scheduled for 1 p.m. at English Field.
Virginia shortstop Tyler Cannon paced the Cavaliers with five hits and three RBIs, but it wasn’t enough to help out starter Andrew Carraway, who suffered his first loss of the season to fall to 5-1.
The Hokies collected three runs in their first at-bat to claim a 3-0 lead. Reed led off with a single before center fielder Steve Bumbry drew a walk, and catcher Anthony Sosnoskie loaded the bases when he reached on a throwing error. Wates then concluded an 11-pitch battle with Carraway by sending a single through the right side that plated Reed and Bumbry. Two batters later, second baseman Michael Seaborn flared a single to right-center field to score Sosnoskie.
Tech added two more runs in the bottom of the second to push its lead to 5-0. Third baseman Tony Balisteri started off the frame with a double before Reed beat out a bunt single. The throw to first was wide, though, allowing Balisteri to score and Reed to move to second. A ground out by Bumbry sent Reed to third, from which he then scored on a base hit by Sosnoskie.
The Cavaliers got to Wright in the top of the fourth, putting up three runs on five hits, including a pair of solo home runs. Cannon led off with a double and promptly scored when second baseman Phil Gosselin laced a single back up the middle. After the Hokies cleared the bases with a double play, third baseman Steve Proscia and catcher John Hicks hit back-to-back solo shots to cut Tech’s lead to two.
Tech did the Cavaliers one better on the bottom half of the fourth, scoring four runs on five hits. Balisteri singled and scored on a sac fly by Sosnoskie, while Reed and Wates scored on a base knock by right fielder Mike Kaminski. Kaminski, who had moved to second on a throw home during the play, later scored on a fielding error by the Virginia first baseman.
Virginia picked up a pair of runs in the top of the sixth to cut Tech’s advantage to 9-5. With designated hitter Danny Hultzen on second and left fielder John Barr on first, center fielder Jarrett Parker singled to left. Hultzen scored on the play, but when the ball scooted past Reed, Barr came all the way around from first for the frames’s second run.
The Cavaliers chipped away with another run in the top of the eighth, with Parker singling and stealing second before scoring on Cannon’s fourth hit of the day. They then gave the Hokies a scare in the top of the ninth by plating two more runs on another Cannon hit, but Rowen closed out the game for his fourth save of the year.