Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Prevailing in walk-off fashion on Wednesday night for the second consecutive game, the No. 5 Virginia Tech baseball team staged another riveting comeback during the ninth inning to squeak by Liberty, 2-1, at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park.
Lucas Donlon connected on the game-winning RBI single that capped Tech's two-out, two-run rally. Eduardo Malinowski had delivered the game-tying single earlier during the inning, scoring from third base on Donlon's lone hit of the game that completed the Hokies' regular season sweep of the Flames.
Virginia Tech (34-10) snatched victory from the jaws of defeat as Liberty (30-17) had been nursing its 1-0 lead since the fourth inning. With two outs and the bases clear, Tech shortstop Tanner Schobel errantly threw Derek Orndorff's grounder to the backside out of play, leaving the door open for Three Hillier to ride the go-ahead RBI single up the middle.
Besides Nick Biddison's game-opening single off the bag at second base and Jack Hurley's fourth-inning double, the Hokies were effectively shut down by the Flames' hurlers. Prior to its ninth inning heroics, Tech's offense was lying four batters above the minimum, enduring at one point a stretch of 10 consecutive batters retired.
Tech was seemingly left for dead during the ninth inning when two of its big three bats – Gavin Cross and Jack Hurley – were both sent down on strikes. Schobel had managed to introduce the Hokies' tying run between them, taking the brunt of a 1-1 pitch by Dylan Cumming off the elbow pad and honoring his role as a hit batsman.
After Schobel had darted into scoring position on a passed ball, Malinowski drew a level count with Cumming before directing his 1-1 pitch through the hole on the right side to knot the game at one run apiece. Awaiting Liberty's new reliever, Cade Hunter rode Cade Hungate's first pitch into left field to apply the pressure before Christian Martin kept the two-out rally alive, drawing the six-pitch walk that loaded the bases.
Turning on a 1-2 pitch along the inside of the plate, Donlon poked the dugout-emptying single over the reach of the Flames' third baseman, clinching Tech its magical come-from-behind victory.
Jordan Geber started and collected nine outs from nine batters faced, recording four strikeouts during his perfect outing. In total, the Hokies' combination of Geber, Ryan Metz, Christian Worley and Kiernan Higgins united to fan 14 batters while surrendering one walk.
NOTEWORTHY
• Virginia Tech has won two consecutive games both in walk-off fashion for the first time since the 2012 season when the Hokies knocked off No. 6 Miami (April 15) and Coastal Carolina (April 17). Mark Zagunis hit the game-winning RBI single to down the Hurricanes in nine innings while Kyle Wernicki unloaded the game-winning RBI single that defeated the Chanticleers in 10 innings.
UP NEXT
No. 5 Virginia Tech will open a three-game ACC home series against the Atlantic Division leader, No. 7 Louisville, on Friday, May 13. First pitch between the Hokies and the Cardinals is scheduled for 7 p.m.