Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG, Va. – Behind 12 hits and another strong pitching performance by Jesse Hahn, the Virginia Tech baseball team turned the tables on Maryland and claimed a 13-4 victory on Saturday evening at English Field after getting shut out on Friday.
The Hokies improved to 10-4 with the win, while the Terrapins fell to 6-7. Both teams are 1-1 in the opening weekend of ACC play.
Hahn worked 7.1 innings on the mound and allowed three unearned runs on two hits and three walks, improving his record to 4-0 and lowering his ERA to 0.64. The two singles he allowed were the only balls that left the infield during his time on the mound, and he tied a career-high set just last week with nine strikeouts. He hit two batters and threw two wild pitches. Reliever Ben Rowen worked the final 1.2 innings for Tech and gave up his first run of the season. His ERA sits at 0.90.
Catcher Steve Domecus paced the Hokie attack by going 3-for-5 with two runs scored, including a grand slam in a six-run second inning that broke the game open in Tech’s favor. Designated hitter Anthony Sosnoskie also went 3-for-5, while third baseman Ronnie Shaban went 2-for-4 with a homer of his own.
Much like in Friday’s game, Maryland jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Leadoff batter David Poutier reached on a fielding error by Hahn, and was then sacrificed to second by shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez. After moving to third on a wild pitch, Poutier raced home on a single to right by cleanup hitter Brandon Padula.
The Hokies quickly rebounded, collecting six runs on just two hits in the bottom of the second thanks to an error, a walk and two hit batsmen. Shortstop Tim Smalling scored the first run on a bases loaded walk drawn by right fielder Mike Kaminski. Sosnoskie later scored when left fielder Andrew Rash was hit by a pitch. With the bases still loaded, Domecus ripped a no-doubter over the left-field fence to bring everyone home and give Tech a 6-1 lead. It was Domecus’ fifth home run of the season and Tech’s second grand slam of the year.
Maryland picked up a pair of runs in the top of the sixth on a couple of Hokie errors, cutting Tech’s lead to 6-3. First baseman Dan Gentzler, who was on base after getting hit by a pitch, scored on a fielding miscue by Smalling, and designated hitter Tyler Bennett, who reached on that same error, later scored when catcher Jack Cleary got caught in a rundown between first and second.
Tech padded its lead in the bottom of the sixth with its second home run of the contest. With Sosnoskie on second following a lead-off double, Shaban sent an opposite-field round-tripper to left field, extending the Tech lead to 8-3.
A pair of RBI groundouts provided the Hokies with two insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh. Domecus scored the first one on a grounder to short by first baseman Austin Wates, while center fielder Sean Ryan touched home on a grounder to third by Smalling.
The Hokies wrapped up their scoring in the bottom of the eighth. Second baseman Michael Seaborn doubled off the wall in left-center to score Shaban all the way from first, while Rash and Ryan each delivered RBI singles.
Maryland set the final score in the ninth when pinch hitter John Dischert doubled home pinch runner Ian Schwalenberg.
Tech and Maryland will decide the three-game series on Sunday beginning at 1 p.m.