Fragale knocks in both Tech runs in season-opening lossFragale knocks in both Tech runs in season-opening loss
Baseball

Fragale knocks in both Tech runs in season-opening loss

CONWAY, S.C. – On the first day of the 19th Annual Brittain Resorts Baseball at the Beach tournament, Coastal Carolina used a five-run fourth inning and a six-run seventh to secure a 17-2 victory over Virginia Tech on Friday evening at Spring Brooks Stadium in the season opener for both teams.

Leading by two after the first, the Chanticleers sent 11 men to the plate in the fourth and pushed their advantage to 7-0 using just two hits and making the most of two hit batsmen and four walks. They led 9-2 before they sent 11 again to the plate and scored six times in the seventh.

Tech got its first run of the game in the fifth off the bat of Sam Fragale, an RBI single that scored Darion Jacoby. Fragale, who led the NCAA last year in sac flies with 12, notched his first of 2018 as he plated Tom Stoffel in the seventh to record his first multi-RBI contest of the year. Last season, Fragale led the team with 18.

Additional Notes

  • Tech opened its 125th season of baseball with its 25th head coach, as John Szefc was named the school's new head coach last June.
  • The Hokies are now 63-60-2 all-time in season openers and 5-5 in their last 10.
  • Today's game was the 11th meeting overall between Coastal and Tech. The Chanticleers now hold a 7-4 edge as they ended a three-game slide to the Hokies.
  • Transfers Luke Horanski (C), Nick Menken (CF) and Nick Owens (SS) all made their first starts in a Tech uniform.
  • Jacoby (LF) became the Hokies' first true freshman to start a season opener in the field since Ricky Surum (SS) – Feb. 14, 2014 at The Citadel.
  • Tech's starter on the mound, Nic Enright appeared for Tech for the first time since May 1, 2016, as he missed all of last season after TJ surgery.
  • Freshmen pitchers Ian Seymour, Gavin Hinchliffe, Ryan Metz and Grant Squyars and infielders Cam Irvine and Michael Fernandez all made their collegiate debuts in the contest.
  • Transfer Hayden Heflin also saw his first action on the mound for the Hokies.

Inside the Box

  • Fragale – two RBI, pushing Tech career total to 112, 32nd multi-RBI game of his career; stolen base, the first of his career.
  • Horanski – double, his first at Tech.
  • Jacoby – reached base four times, a walk, two HBPs and a single, and scored a run.
  • N. Owens – two singles, first multi-hit game of his Tech career.
  • Stoffel – single, the 147th hit of his Tech career.

Up Next

  • On Day 2 of the 19th Annual Brittain Resorts Baseball at the Beach, the Hokies (0-1) will face No. 17 South Alabama (1-0) at 4:30 p.m. The game will be played at TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Park in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.