Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – With nine players sporting multi-RBI games on Saturday night, the No. 4 nationally-seeded (and region top-seed) Virginia Tech baseball team steamrolled third-seeded Columbia, 24-4, to dance into the final round of the 2022 NCAA Blacksburg Regional at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park.
In victory, Virginia Tech (43-12) secured its third regional final appearance under the tournament's modern format, having made two previous trips through the elimination ladder to make it there in 2010 (Columbia) and 2013 (Blacksburg). The Hokies are seeking their first regional championship and their first Super Regional appearance across program history.
Tech received a trio of three-hit performances from the two-, three- and four-starters in its lineup who combined to swing 9-for-15, score eight runs and total eight RBIs. Gavin Cross finished a double short of hitting for his second career cycle, Tanner Schobel went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two walks while Jack Hurley batted 3-for-6, putting three run-scoring balls into play.
Despite Columbia (31-17) jumping out to the early, 2-1 lead, the Hokies turned the game upside down during the top of the fourth inning, staging an endless, 14-run rally – Tech's highest single-inning run total achieved during its ACC tenure (since 2005). Conor Hartigan sandwiched his leadoff single and his inning-ending strikeout around his four-pitch, RBI walk as the Hokies brought 19 batters to the plate, totaling 10 hits with the help of poor outfield defending.
Schobel was first to tip the scale in Tech's favor, arriving at the plate with the bases loaded and one out during the fourth inning. Celebrating his birthday, the sophomore shortstop proceeded to drill a 1-2 pitch from JD Ogden off the left field wall, clearing the bases to put the Hokies on top, 4-2, courtesy of his three-RBI double.
Tech kept its foot on the gas pedal as Hurley and Carson Jones soon followed with RBI singles, pushing the Hokies' lead to 6-2. After Hartigan had drawn his bases-loaded walk, Carson DeMartini rocketed Tech's second bases-clearing, extra-base hit of the inning, tripling into the right field corner to stamp the Hokies' 10-2 advantage.
With nine runs already home, Tech's offensive feast was far from over as Nick Biddison's fly ball to left field was lost in the night sky by Cole Hage, dropping in the left field corner for a two-run, inside-the-park homer. During the ensuing at-bat, Cross skied a similar fly ball to center field, only for the converging Lions to lose sight of it and let it drop as well for a triple.
Still laying one out in the fourth inning, Cade Hunter capped the Hokies' outpouring of offense by lifting a third fly ball that gave Columbia trouble yet again, hitting the turf for the two-RBI double that pocketed Tech its 15-2 lead.
On the mound, Jordan Geber relieved right-hand starter Griffin Green at the start of the third inning, dealing three innings to collect his first winning decision with the Hokies. In the aftermath of Tech's 14-run inning, the Hokies turned to Ryan Okuda, Sean Fisher, Grant Umberger and Brady Kirtner, each letting them throw no more than 30 pitches apiece.
Fourteen position players made their way into the game for the Hokies. Backup catcher Gehrig Ebel powered his first career home run during the top of the eighth inning, cushioning Tech's lead to 24-3 at the time.
NOTEWORTHY
• Virginia Tech's 39 runs scored across its first two games of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship are the most plated by an ACC program across tournament history.
• The Hokies were one of five NCAA tournament teams that scored 20 or more runs on Saturday, setting the tournament's single-day record.
• Tech's 14-run fourth inning ranks three runs off the pace of the program's all-time single-inning scoring output (17 runs, 1989).
• The Hokies' 24 runs set the program's NCAA tournament record and are the most Tech has scored during a game since 2017 (Feb. 26 at Nevada).
UP NEXT
No. 4 Virginia Tech will oppose the winner between second-seeded [No. 14] Gonzaga and third-seeded Columbia in the final round of the NCAA Blacksburg Regional on Sunday, June 5, at 7 p.m. The Hokies are one win away from advancing to their first Super Regional all-time while the Bulldogs and the Lions would enter Sunday night's game needing two wins to champion the regional.
Gallery: (6-5-2022) BSB: NCAA Blacksburg Regional vs. Columbia