BLACKSBURG – A 10-run third inning turned a 1-1 tie into a runaway for the Virginia Tech baseball team as the Hokies downed the visiting William & Mary Tribe 19-4 on Tuesday afternoon in nonconference baseball action at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park.
For the Hokies, it improved their overall mark to 10-5 which includes a perfect 7-0 record at home, which is the program's best start to a season since the 2012 squad won its first eight games in Blacksburg. Of the seven wins, Tech has reached double figures in runs scored five times, while their opposition has yet to score more than five.
Leading the Hokies at the plate in the rout was Carson Taylor, who tied a season high with four hits, including a pair of doubles, scored a career-high tying four times and collected a career-high five RBI. In fact, in the 10-run third, Taylor accounted for five of the runs on two hits – he scored twice and drove in three more.
Kevin Madden capped the frame with his third home run of the year, sixth of his career, which was his second hit of the inning as well. Jason Rooks collected his first two hits of the season – both two-RBI doubles and the second ended a four-run fifth that put the Hokies in front 15-2.
Cade Hunter also had three hits, scored three times and had two RBI, while Lucas Donlon registered his first collegiate hit with a single in the eighth.
William & Mary (8-9) got two solo home runs from Tyler Solomon, which accounted for its first two runs of the game, to lead the Tribe offensively.
The beneficiary of the onslaught was Tech starter Ryan Okuda, who threw five innings and struck out a career-high eight batters as he improved to 2-0 on the season. Xander Hamilton, Ryan Gleason and Nic Psimas all made their collegiate debuts on the mound for Tech, throwing an inning each. Gleason struck out the side in the eighth, while Psimas had two strikeouts and Hamilton one.
Quick notes:
- Tech now owns an 83-34 record against the Tribe and are 47-16 at home and have won three straight in the series.
- The team is 7-0 this season when scoring more than five runs.
- The 10-run third was the most in a single frame since Tech scored 10 runs in the sixth inning against No. 1 Florida State on March 19, 2017 – in a 17-0 victory.
- The last time Tech scored at least 19 runs was April 4, 2018 versus Dayton in a 19-2 win.
- Adding the final home win from 2019, Tech has won eight straight at home, the longest streak since the team won 11 straight from April 28, 2015 through March 4, 2016. The eight straight wins are currently tied for the 17th longest in the nation.
- The Hokies stole two bases tonight, giving them 32 for the season, already more than last year's 30. Over the last five seasons, the high-water mark is 39 (2018).
Up Next:
The Hokies continue its five-game homestand Wednesday against George Mason before the fifth-ranked Miami Hurricanes come in for a three-game ACC series starting Friday. Wednesday's start time is scheduled for 4 p.m.