BLACKSBURG - Junior transfer Tanner Thomas hit a two-out RBI single to score freshman Nick Holesa and lift the Maroon team to a 3-2 walk-off victory over the Orange squad in Game 1 of the 2018 Maroon & Orange World Series held Friday afternoon at English Field at Union Park.
Holesa drew a leadoff walk to start the ninth inning, and two outs later, senior Nick Owens was intentionally walked to bring Thomas to the plate, who came through with the walk-off hit.
Maroon, who was held hitless through the game's first five frames, saw freshman Nick Biddison knock home Owens with his team's first hit and run in the sixth to tie the game at 1-1. Biddison ended the day 2-for-4, adding a double in the eighth inning.
Junior Andrew Webb, who had an RBI single in both the sixth - scoring senior Nick Menken with the afternoon's first run - and eighth frames, led Orange at the plate. Senior Luke Horanski was 2-for-4, while freshman Carson Taylor was 1-for-2 with a walk, a hit-by-pitch and a run scored.
The pitching staffs were solid most of the day, with Maroon being led by freshman starter Chris Gerard (two scoreless innings pitched, one strikeout), freshman Alex Havlicek (two scoreless innings), sophomore Ryan Okuda (one scoreless inning), redshirt-junior Nick Vickers (one scoreless inning, two strikeouts) and redshirt-senior Luke Scherzer (one scoreless inning, one strikeout).
Starting for the Orange side was sophomore Ian Seymour (two scoreless innings pitched, one strikeout), with sophomore Ryan Metz (one scoreless inning, one strikeout), redshirt-sophomore Connor Yoder (two scoreless innings pitched, three strikeouts) and junior-transfer Peyton Alford (one scoreless inning, one strikeout) highlighting its day.
Game 2 of the series will be played on Monday with first pitch slated for 3:30 p.m.