BLACKSBURG –Again, the Virginia Tech baseball team scored multiple first-inning runs, this time it was seven, and the Hokies cruised to a 9-3 victory over visiting ETSU in Tech's 2019 home opener at English Field at Union Park on Tuesday afternoon.
The Hokies have now outscored their opposition by a 15-0 count in the first inning and have never trailed in a contest this year as they won their fourth straight game to start the season.
Tech's first seven batters of the game combined for four walks, two singles and a hit-by-pitch as the Hokies jumped out to a 4-0 lead before the Buccaneers went to their bullpen. Zachary Kirby got two outs, but each of those produced a run, and Nick Owens, who walked and scored earlier in the inning, capped the frame with an RBI single that plated Jack Owens.
(2/19/2019) 2019 BASEBALL HOME OPENER
ETSU (3-1) used a Tech error to score an unearned run in the second, and two runs in the fourth pulled the Buccaneers to within 7-3.
In that fourth, they had already pushed one run across the plate on a bases-loaded walk before Tech called in Nathan Starliper from the bullpen. In his first collegiate appearance, Starliper induced a double play, which scored the second run of the inning, and a flyout to left ended any further damage.
Starliper (1-0) tossed 3.1 innings with two strikeouts, while four Tech hurlers finished off the contest allowing just one walk and one hit over the final 2.2 innings.
Completing Tech's scoring, Kerry Carpenter, in the fourth, and Reagan Teegarden, in the fifth, each notched an RBI single to increase the Tech advantage. For Teegarden, it was his game-high second of the afternoon.
On the mound, Nic Enright had a team-high three strikeouts in 2.0 innings of work, while Jaison Heard (1.0) and Connor Yoder (1.2) each struck out a pair.
Tech Notes
- Turned one double play in the game and has five this season.
- Is now 8-2 in home openers (since 2010) and has won four straight.
- Is 21-3 all-time in home games played in the month of February, winning seven straight dating back to a 7-3 loss to Temple (Feb. 24) in the 2013 home opener.
- Is 2-0 in home openers under head coach John Szefc, as the team won last year's versus Radford (Feb. 27), a 3-2 walk-off win in 12 innings.
- Is now 37-18 against ETSU all-time including a 23-7 mark at home and has won four straight at English Field at Union Park.
- Starting pitchers this season have allowed just one earned run over 17 innings.
Up Next
The Hokies were scheduled to play a three-game series at UNC Greensboro this upcoming weekend, but with the weather forecasted for the area, the teams are switching that series to Blacksburg. Tech will release more information about the series, which will now be played at English Field at Union Park, later in the week.