BLACKSBURG – In what would be their final game as collegiates playing for Virginia Tech at English Field at Union Park, Jack Owens and Nick Owens each came up big for the Hokies in an 8-4 victory over Virginia Saturday afternoon. Out of the bullpen, Luke Scherzer tossed his final innings in a Tech uniform to close out his career with his final ACC victory on the mound.
Jack Owens had three hits in his final game, and added two runs scored and a pair of RBI, while Nick Owens had a key bases-loaded two-RBI single in a five-run seventh that padded a slim advantage for Tech.
In the first, Jack Owens singled home Kerry Carpenter and scored on Tanner Thomas' RBI single. Nick Biddison drove home Dalton Harum in the second to give Tech a 3-0 lead.
Virginia (32-22, 14-16 ACC) scratched back to within one at 3-2, first scoring an unearned run in the third and Tanner Morris' RBI single in the fifth made it a one-run contest.
Tech (26-27, 9-21 ACC) sent nine Hokies to the plate in the seventh, scoring five of them. Jack Owens singled home Biddison, who led off the frame with a triple, and was standing on third when Thomas was intentionally walked to load the bases with nobody out.
Facing a full count, Nick Owens roped a single through the left side scoring Jack and Kevin Madden to make it a four-run game. Thomas crossed the plate on a Harum sacrifice fly and Nick scampered home on a passed ball making it 8-2.
Scherzer, Tech's third pitcher of the afternoon, got two double play balls to help him out of the fifth and sixth frames and a perfect seventh was capped on a foul out to first.
An error in the eighth allowed two unearned Virginia runs to cross the plate, but Jaison Heard closed the game in the ninth with a strikeout (his fourth of the game), as Cavaliers were standing on the corners.
Scherzer finished the season with a 4-4 record and won eight games in his Tech career, striking out 146 in 154.1 career innings pitched. Jack Owens finished his collegiate career with 195 hits and 130 runs scored, while Nick Owens had 90 hits and 58 runs scored.
Tech honored six Hokies before the game, student-trainer Elizabeth Snyder, student-manager Devin Coll and student-athletes Nick Menken, Nick Owens, Luke Horanski and Jack Owens (all pictured above).
Ryan Metz was also recognized as the 2019 winner of the Johnny Oates Memorial Award, presented to the Virginia Tech baseball player who best exemplifies the traits Johnny was known for: being a loyal friend and teammate, whose enduring and eternal faith, devotion to family, character, integrity, competitive nature, courage and perseverance continue to be an inspiration to all.
Gallery: (5/18/2019) 2019 BASEBALL SENIOR DAY