Hokie ClubCHARLESTON, S.C. – Fueled by two home runs each from left fielder Steve Domecus and catcher Anthony Sosnoskie, the Virginia Tech baseball team pounded out 19 hits en route to a 17-2 victory over Charleston Southern on Friday at CSU Ballpark in Charleston, S.C.
Every starter scored at least one run for the Hokies (2-2), with Domecus, Sosnoskie and shortstop Tim Smalling (2-for-4) crossing home three times apiece. Domecus (2-for-4) and Sosnoskie (2-for-5) each drove in three runs, as did center fielder Sean Ryan (2-for-4). First baseman Austin Wates and third baseman Ronnie Shaban each went 4-for-6.
Tech starting pitcher Justin Wright rebounded from a rough outing on opening day to go six strong innings for the victory, improving to 1-1. The left-hander allowed two runs, both unearned, on seven hits and zero walks, while striking out four. True freshmen Jake Joyce and Brent Zimmerman each tossed a scoreless inning in relief, as did Shaban.
Jesse Cadenhead took the loss for the Buccaneers (2-3) to fall to 0-2, allowing six runs on eight hits and three walks. He lasted just three innings in his second start of the year. As a staff, CSU doled out nine walks and six wild pitches Offensively, right fielder Tyler Thornburg and center fielder Tom Burkett each tallied two hits for CSU.
Tech scored one run in each of the first two innings to take a lead it would not give up. Smalling scored the game’s first run, scampering home from third on a wild pitch by Cadenhead, while an RBI single from Ryan brought home designated hitter Matt Blow for a run in the second.
The Hokies collected four runs in the top of the third to take a 6-0 lead. After Smalling led off with a double, he advanced to third on a wild pitch and came home on an RBI base hit to center from Wates. Domecus then sent a two-run homer to left-center, and was followed by Sosnoskie, who wrapped a solo shot around the right-field foul pole to make it back-to-back round-trippers for Tech.
CSU got on the board in the bottom of the third with an unearned run off of Wright. After Burkett scored and moved to second on a balk, he went to third on a failed pick-off attempt by Wright. Left fielder Brantley Meier then hit a grounder deep in the hole at short, beating the throw for an infield single and plating Burkett in the process.
Domecus sent a nearly identical shot to left-center field to lead off the fifth inning for his second homer of the day and his third in the past two games. A fielder’s choice groundout by Ryan with the bases loaded brought home Sosnoskie for Tech’s eighth run of the game, and Shaban then scored on a wild pitch – CSU’s fourth of the contest – to give Tech a 9-1 lead. Smalling capped the frame’s scoring by singling home Ryan and right fielder Mike Kaminski to put the Hokies up 11-1.
In the bottom of the fifth, CSU’s Walt Quattlebaum doubled and moved to third on a single behind second base by Burkett. Smalling attempted an acrobatic throw to try to nail Burkett at first, but Burkett beat it out and the throw sailed past Wates, allowing Quattlebaum to race home for the Buccaneers’ final run of the contest.
Sosnoskie joined Domecus in the two-homer club in the sixth, sending his second opposite-field shot of the day over the right-field fence to bring home Domecus and put Tech up 13-2. An RBI double by Ryan then scored Seaborn all the way from first to make it 14-2.
Tech tacked on three more runs in the ninth to set the final score, with Shaban delivering an RBI single and CSU reliever Michael Catoe walking in two runners with the bases loaded.
Game two of the three-game series between Tech and CSU is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m.