Hokie ClubBRIGHTON, Mass. – With Gavin Cross and Tanner Schobel powering back-to-back home runs within the opening six pitches of the seventh inning on Friday, the No. 8 Virginia Tech baseball team found enough in the tank to survive its duel with Boston College as the Hokies prevailed, 2-0, at Harrington Athletics Village.
Held to a single hit through six innings by BC right-hand starter Joe Mancini, Virginia Tech (26-9, 10-7 ACC) broke up the scoreless stalemate with two mammoth swings during the top of the seventh inning. Turning on a 2-1 pitch, Cross pulled the go-ahead homer to right field for his ninth home run of the season, two pitches before Schobel drove Mancini's 0-1 delivery to left field for the insurance blast.
Making his New England collegiate homecoming, sophomore right-hander Griffin Green – a native of Chelmsford, Massachusetts – started and logged six and two-thirds innings of shutout ball to earn his sixth victory of the season. Green tied his career high for strikeouts (seven) for his second consecutive outing, stranding six base runners while notching his second combined shutout of the season.
Graham Firoved helped Green out of a jam during the seventh inning, striking out Cameron Leary to preserve the Hokies' 2-0 lead. Firoved tacked on four more strikeouts across the final two innings to earn his first save of the season, finishing off the Eagles with back-to-back strikeouts of Sam McNulty and Barry Walsh.
Boston College (15-23, 3-16 ACC) held Tech to season lows in both runs (two – tie) and hits (five). Travis Honeyman reached base four times to lead the Eagles, who defensively matched the Hokies with two double plays.
Carson DeMartini went 2-for-3 to pace Tech's offense, singling off Mancini and reliever Julian Tonghini.
UP NEXT
No. 8 Virginia Tech will compete against Boston College in the Eagles' 10th annual ALS Awareness Game on Saturday, April 23, at Fenway Park. First pitch in Boston is scheduled for 6 p.m.