LAFAYETTE, La. – With runners on the corners and nobody out, Peyton Alford struck out the next three Ragin' Cajuns to earn his first save as a Hokie as the Virginia Tech baseball team evened its series versus Louisiana with a 3-2 victory in the second game of a three-game set at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field Russo Park Saturday afternoon.
Alford was the fifth reliever called in from the Tech bullpen for starter Anthony Simonelli, who allowed one unearned run over 5.0 innings pitched and struck out a season-high seven batters. He picked up his first win in a Tech uniform.
Tech (2-3), shutout on Friday night, gave Simonelli a two-run lead in the top of the first as a Louisiana error allowed both runners to cross the plate. Nick Biddison doubled to open the game and Kevin Madden raced to third on an error by the right fielder that brought home Biddison. Madden later scored on a grounder by Spencer Palmer and Tech led 2-0.
Louisiana (2-5) answered back in the home half of the second, scoring an unearned run of its own, as a two-out Tech error extended the Cajuns' inning. Sebastian Toro singled home Jonathan Windham to cut their deficit in half.
Carson Taylor added a much-needed insurance run in the sixth after leading off the inning with a double and scoring from third on a wild pitch.
Louisiana would not go quietly, but could not get the key hit they needed to tie the game. The Cajuns left 15 men on base in the game, including leaving the bases loaded in the eighth.
In the ninth, an RBI single by Julian Brock put runners on the corners with no one out, but Alford struck out Windham, who had three hits in the game, Tremaine Spears and Toro to end the game.
Quick notes:
- This weekend marks the first ever meeting between the two schools. The series is now tied at 1-1.
- Coach John Szefc was an assistant coach at Louisiana for six seasons (2003-08).
- Tech is 6-14 in 20 all-time games in the Pelican state.
- The Hokies pitching staff combined to strike out 16 batters, just the seventh time over the past 15 seasons in a nine-inning game. Last year, Tech struck out 16 in a game twice, at Florida State, March 8 (10 innings), and at VMI, April 2.
Inside the box
- Alford: struck out the side in the ninth, second time this season (3 in career).
- Biddison: two hits, second multi-hit game of the season (19 in career); first extra-base hits of the year, two doubles (13).
- Gavin Cross: stolen base, first of his career.
- Fritz Genther: two hits, second multi-hit game of the season.
- Matthew Siverling: struck out the side in the sixth, season-high four strikeouts.
- Taylor: double, first of the year (10 in career).
Up Next:
The two teams will conclude their series with the rubber match at Russo Park on Sunday afternoon with first pitch set for 2 p.m. EST.