PITTSBURGH – Every starter for the Virginia Tech baseball team had at least one hit and one run scored as the Hokies secured its first ACC series win of the year with a dominating 16-1 victory over Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon at Charles L. Cost Field.
With the victory, the Hokies clinched their first ever road series win at Pittsburgh (lost the previous four here) and secure its first road ACC series since coming back to beat Notre Dame in the final two games of a three-game series in 2014 (March 22-23) after losing the opener in South Bend on Friday (March 21).
Leading the offensive attack for Tech was Nick Owens and Kerry Carpenter, who each knocked in a team-high four runs on a game-high three hits. Owens, who registered a career-high RBI with his output, added a double and two runs scored to his totals, while Luke Horanski added three RBI and a two-run home run. Reagan Teegarden, who scored a game-high three times, was one of six Hokies that scored at least twice.
Starting on the mound for the Hokies was freshman pitcher Chris Gerard, who continued his scoreless streak and improved to 2-0 with the victory. He tossed 5.0 innings, did not allow a run and struck out six.
Gerard becomes the first freshman pitcher in team history to win two ACC road starts and ran his scoreless streak to 16.2 consecutive innings (12.0 in ACC play) and has not allowed an earned run in 22 frames.
Jaison Heard tossed three scoreless innings and struck out a season-high four batters, while Pittsburgh (6-11, 0-5 ACC) scored its lone run of the game in the ninth off Dillon Larsen.
Tech (13-5, 3-2 ACC) used a seven-run second inning to open the day's scoring then put the game away with nine runs over the middle three frames. With the bases loaded in the second inning, Owens cleared the bases with a double and later in the frame, Horanski blasted his sixth long ball of the year.
Part of a four-run fourth, Tanner Thomas had a two-RBI double, while Carson Taylor also had a two-RBI double in the fifth.
Tech notes
- Tech trails in the all-time series with Pitt 19-17-1.
- The Hokies are 5-9 all-time in Pittsburgh, but secured their first-ever road series win over the Panthers.
- Tech's last ACC series win was last year at home against Pittsburgh (March 9-10), which opened the season.
- Combined with Maryland and Tech, head coach John Szefc is now 7-1 all-time versus Pittsburgh (5-0 on the road) and he's also 7-1 in the Keystone State.
- The Hokies are 7-0 this year in games decided by 5 or more runs.
- Tech turned three double plays in the game, has 17 this season.
- The 16 runs were the most in an ACC game since a 16-4 win versus Boston College on March 31, 2017.
- It's the most runs scored in an ACC road game singe a 19-18 loss at NC State on March 29, 2009. Tech won a game the same season (March 6) at Duke, 19-4.
Up Next
The Hokies and Panthers will conclude the ACC series with one more game on Sunday, with first pitch slated for 1 p.m.