Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG, Va. – Timely hits by Michael Seaborn and Steve Domecus, and a costly error by North Carolina A&T, paved the way for No. 20 Virginia Tech’s 5-1 non-conference baseball victory over the Aggies Tuesday night at English Field. Tech improved its overall record to 24-11 with the win, while A&T fell to 12-20.
Seaborn broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the sixth inning when he laced a two-out single up the middle to score Ronnie Shaban from second base. Before the inning was done, Tech added three more runs, all unearned. The second run scored on a throwing error by Aggies’ first baseman Kelvin Freeman, while left fielder Domecus knocked in the last two with his second double, and fourth hit, of the game.
Tech’s pitching staff allowed just three base-runners over the first six innings, with two coming on walks and the other on an infield single by catcher Lester Rivenbark. Rivenbark advanced as far as third before being stranded. The other two runners were erased by a caught stealing and a pickoff.
The Aggies finally got on the scoreboard in the seventh when they picked up three of their four hits. Left fielder Dario Little opened the inning with a double off of Brandon Fisher, the fourth of six Tech pitchers. Little came home on a one-out single off the bat of right fielder Xavier Macklin.
Tech added an extra run in the bottom of the seventh when right fielder Austin Wates doubled and came home on a triple by Seaborn. Wates and Seaborn both finished with two hits, while Domecus posted a 4-for-4 game to tie a career high in hits and joined Seaborn with two RBIs.
Fisher, who worked 1.1 innings, picked up the victory, his second without a loss. He yielded a run on three hits, while fanning two batters and walking one. Nick Oelker, who started and pitched 5.2 innings for the Aggies, was the tough-luck loser. He allowed four runs, one earned, in falling to 1-4 on the season.
Tech is scheduled to return to Atlantic Coast Conference play on Friday night when it travels to Charlottesville to begin a three-game series with the No. 1-ranked Virginia Cavaliers. First pitch for the opener is set for 7.