LEXINGTON, Va. – The Virginia Tech baseball team ended a six-game losing streak with a 13-1 victory over VMI at Gray-Minor Stadium Tuesday evening as the Hokies hit a season-high five home runs in the win.
It was the most home runs hit by the team since March 28, 2017 versus Campbell (5) and the most hit on the road since February 26, 2017 at Nevada (6).
Nick Biddison started the home run onslaught with a grand slam in the third inning, which put the Hokies up 5-0 at the time. It was the team's third grand slam of the season and the freshman's third home run of the year.
Dalton Harum hit a solo home run in the fourth, the first of his Tech career, before Kevin Madden added a three-run shot in the fifth, his third of the season as well, that put the Hokies up 9-1.
Harum followed with his second home run of the game, marking Tech's first back-to-back home runs hit since Tom Stoffel and Sam Fragale went yard on May 2, 2018 at Liberty.
Harum wasn't done, though, as he hit a third – a two-run shot – in the top of the ninth, to become the first Hokie with a three-home run game since Rahiem Cooper also hit three at Nevada on February 26, 2017.
Meanwhile, on the mound, starter Luke Scherzer cruised through the first three frames – tossing a perfect first, getting a double play to end the second and striking out the side in the third. He also struck out the side in the fifth.
VMI (6-23) scored its lone run of the game in the fourth, using a one-out walk, a single and an RBI double off the bat of Nathan Loyd to drive in Cody Warner, which also put two more in scoring position. However, Scherzer notched back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat.
Scherzer (3-3) ended the night after five innings of work, scattered six hits and three walks, allowed just one run and struck out a career-high nine batters – just a week after striking out a then-career high eight versus Liberty (March 26) in 3.2 relief innings.
Peyton Alford worked two perfect innings with four strikeouts, Jack Goonan tossed a scoreless eighth with one strikeout and Dillon Larsen struck out two in a perfect ninth. The pitching staff struck out a season-high tying 16 batters, as Tech also had 16 at Florida State (March 8).
Biddison ended the night with three hits, including a double, and a career-high five RBI. Cam Grimes, off the bench, had a pinch-hit single, the first of his Tech career.
Up Next
The Hokies (17-12) will take a couple days off from competition before heading to Winston-Salem, N.C. for a three-game ACC set against Wake Forest. The series at David F. Couch Ballpark is scheduled to start on Friday with a first pitch of 6 p.m.