Hokie ClubJOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Austin Wates’ career-high five RBIs paced an 18-hit Hokie attack on Wednesday night as the Virginia Tech baseball team defeated East Tennessee State 14-3 at Cardinal Park.
Tech improved to 18-9 with the win, while East Tennessee State fell to 16-7.
Six Hokies recorded at least two hits apiece in the game, with Wates, left fielder Steve Domecus and shortstop Ronnie Shaban each tallying three. Wates, Shaban and first baseman Matt Blow all homered, while Domecus hit a pair of doubles.
The Tech pitching staff struck out 11 batters in the game just one night after fanning 16 against 29th-ranked VMI. Freshman Patrick Scoggin (1-1) earned the first win of his career after pitching 2.2 innings in relief of starter Joe Mantiply. Scoggin struck out four batters and allowed one run on two hits and three walks. Mantiply was not eligible for the win after tossing just 3.1 innings.
ETSU starter Josh Means (0-1) took the loss after surrendering seven runs on 10 hits over 3.1 innings. Catcher Derek Trent homered twice for the Buccaneers.
The Hokies wasted no time in spotting Mantiply with a 1-0 lead. After a one-out single by center fielder Sean Ryan and a walk drawn by Shaban, Wates sent a double to right-center field to score Ryan for the game’s first run.
Tech used five two-out hits in the third inning to build a 5-0 advantage. Ryan and Shaban set the table with back-to-back singles before Wates delivered an RBI base-knock to score Ryan. Shaban then scored on a double by designated hitter Buddy Sosnoskie, and Wates and Sosnoskie both touched home on a single by catcher Anthony Sosnoskie.
Three Hokie doubles in the fourth led to another pair of runs for the Tech offense. Blow led off with the first two-bagger and later scored on a double by Domecus. Shaban followed suit two batters later with Tech’s third double to score Domecus and make it 7-0 in Tech’s favor.
The Buccaneers got on the board in the bottom of the fourth thanks to back-to-back solo home runs from first baseman Paul Hoilman, who hit his 12th of the season, and Trent, who hit his seventh.
Tech got those runs right back in the top of the fifth thanks to a two-run homer by Blow – his first of the season – before the Hokies pushed their lead to 12-2 in the sixth on a three-run jack by Wates – his third round-tripper of the year.
Trent went deep again in the bottom of the sixth for the Buccaneers, but it was another solo shot and the Hokies held onto a nine-run lead at 12-3.
Shaban provided the final scoring punch for the Hokies with a two-run homer in the eighth. It was the third homer of the game for Tech and the third homer of the season for Shaban.
The Hokies will return to ACC action this weekend with a three-game series at fourth-ranked Florida State in Tallahassee, Fla. First pitch is scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m.