BLACKSBURG – Down 2-0 after the first, the Orange team scored four unanswered, including a three-run second, and then held on to register a 5-3 victory over Maroon in Game 1 of Virginia Tech baseball's Fall World Series at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park Monday afternoon.
The visitors in the game, Orange used a two-out rally to turn the two-run deficit into a 3-2 lead. Lucas Donlon drove in the first run before Fritz Genther doubled home a pair to give his team the lead. Kevin Madden scored on a wild pitch in the fourth to pad the lead to two.
Maroon, who used RBI singles from Spencer Palmer and Reagan Teegarden in the first inning, cut its deficit to a run in the fifth. Carson Taylor doubled to lead off the frame then scored on a Teegarden sacrifice fly.
Gavin Cross gave Orange its two-run advantage back in the top of the sixth as he plated Genther, who was hit by a pitch, to make it 5-3.
Out of the bullpen, Nathan Starliper faced a bases-loaded, one out jam in the bottom of the sixth, but got a strikeout and pop to first to end the Maroon threat then closed the game in the seventh with a perfect frame.
Madden and Cade Hunter each had two hits for Orange, while Taylor led Maroon with two hits and two runs scored.
On the mound, Mike Grupe tossed a game high 3.0 innings and allowed just one earned run for Orange, while Graham Seitz went 1.1 innings with two strikeouts. Orange's Cross (1.0), Starliper (1.2) and Maroon's Ryan Gleason (2.2) each tied for the game high with two strikeouts as well.
Up Next:
Tech's Fall World Series continues Wednesday, Oct. 23 with Game 2 starting at 3 p.m. The Hokies will face Louisburg College in their final exhibition game on Friday, a 4 p.m. start. All games will be played at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park.