ATLANTA – Virginia Tech starting pitcher Ian Seymour made school history against No. 29 Georgia Tech on Sunday, but it took 10 innings for the Hokies to notch their first ACC baseball win of the year, as they registered a 7-6 victory at Russ Chandler Stadium.
Virginia Tech improved to 9-5 overall and 1-2 in the ACC, while Georgia Tech dropped to 10-5 with the loss and 2-1 in league play.
Seymour struck out a career-high 14 Yellow Jackets in just six innings. The 14 strikeouts are the most by a Tech pitcher in a regular-season ACC game. He struck out the side three times and had two strikeouts in two other frames, but did not factor in the decision.
Meanwhile, it was a late-inning defensive substitute who provided the winning run for the Hokies, as Brennan Reback, who took over in centerfield in the ninth inning, came to the plate with one out in the 10th. He singled, moved to second on an error, stole third and then scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch with two outs.
Nathan Starliper, who finished off a scoreless ninth, issued a two-out walk in the home half of the 10th, but got the final out with a strikeout, as the Hokies pitching staff combined to strike out 19 Yellow Jackets. It was the most strikeouts by a Tech staff ever in an ACC game (previous high was 16 on April 10, 2011 at Wake Forest).
It was another back-and-forth afternoon for the teams, as Nick Biddison led off the game with a single and scored two batters later on a two-out RBI single from Spencer Palmer to give Virginia Tech the first lead. After falling behind 2-1, Carson Taylor tied the contest with an RBI single that drove in Fritz Genther.
Yellow Jacket Baron Radcliff led his team offensively, knocking in a pair with a triple in the fourth and breaking a 2-2 tie in the sixth with an RBI single. He actually drove a ball to the warning track in the 10th – a ball the home crowd thought had a chance to tie the game – but the Hokies' Tanner Thomas settled under it for the out.
Taylor gave the Hokies the lead with a two-RBI double in the top of the seventh, while Palmer added an RBI single and Thomas an RBI triple to increase the Virginia Tech advantage to 6-3.
But it wasn't enough as Georgia Tech fought back again, pushing one across in the home half of the seventh and tying the game when Friday night's hero, Jadyn Jackson, doubled home two in the eighth, which all but forced extra innings.
With the effort, Seymour also became the first Virginia Tech pitcher to strike out at least 10 batters in a regular-season ACC game three times. Former southpaw Justin Wright did it three times as well, but one was in an ACC tournament game – ironically against Georgia Tech (15 on May 27, 2010).
Quick notes:
- Tech is 19-37 all-time against Georgia Tech, including a 10-23 mark in Atlanta.
- This was Virginia Tech's first extra-inning game of the season. The team was 0-2 last year and last won an extra-inning game on April 27, 2018 versus Duke (0-4 since).
- The Hokies last extra-inning win on the road was March 23, 2014 at Notre Dame (5-4 in 12).
- For the fourth time this season, Virginia Tech scored its game-winning run by wild pitch, passed ball, stolen base or error.
- This was the fourth time the Hokies have faced Georgia Tech in an ACC series opener, the most common opponent in their 16 seasons in the league.
- This was Virginia Tech's first series against a ranked opponent.
- Virginia Tech stole six bases in the game and are up to 30 this season – the team stole just 30 all last year.
Inside the box score:
- Biddison: extended hitting streak to a career-long 12 straight; has reached base in 21 consecutive games (dating back to last season).
- Gavin Cross: is 6-for-6 in stolen base attempts this year with one today.
- Genther: second multi-run scoring game this year; 7-for-7 this season in stolen base attempts after stealing two today.
- Palmer: third multi-hit game this season; fourth multi-RBI game of the year.
- Seymour: has struck out at least six in all four starts this season; second time this year, fourth time in his career he's struck out 10 or more in a game; struck out the side three times (first, second and sixth) and has done it six times this season, 15 times in his career.
- Taylor: fifth multi-hit game of the season, 16 in career; second multi-RBI game of the season, sixth of career.
Up Next:
The Hokies return to Blacksburg for their next five games, playing host to a pair of midweek games before nationally ranked Miami visits Blacksburg for Tech's ACC home opening series. William & Mary is in town Tuesday, George Mason comes Wednesday, and the set with the Hurricanes starts Friday – all three games are scheduled for a 4 p.m. first pitch.