BLACKSBURG – Opening its annual intrasquad Fall World Series on Wednesday, the Virginia Tech baseball team played its way through a pitcher's duel during Game 1 as Maroon notched a combined no-hitter to defeat Orange, 2-1, in seven innings at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park.
Batting as the home team, Maroon scored its two runs on six hits while limiting Orange to a solitary run off a sacrifice fly. Maroon earned series points for winning the fourth and sixth innings of play while Orange stole a point back for winning the seventh inning.
FALL WORLD SERIES SCORING
To win the Fall World Series, Maroon or Orange must win at least two of the following three categories: (a) Game 3 score, (b) series points and (c) series run differential. Teams earn one series point for every inning won on the scoreboard.
Cumulative scoring will be displayed on the English Field video board throughout the series and will be tracked in real time as follows:
- Runs column – Displays individual game score
- Hits column – Displays cumulative series points (Maroon leads, 2-1)
- Errors column – Displays cumulative run differential (Maroon leads, +1)
Whichever side wins at least two of the three categories displayed on the scoreboard after Game 3 will be determined the winner.
GAME 1
Maroon starter Ryan Kennedy (Manassas, Virginia) collected 12 outs from 13 batters faced as the freshman right-hander carved up Orange to the tune of four strikeouts through four innings pitched. Rookie right-hander Ryan Grzesiak (Chantilly, Virginia) survived leadoff walks during the fifth and sixth innings to post two hitless frames while fourth-year southpaw Matthew Siverling finished the combined no-hitter, though conceded a run to Orange on Jack Hurley's sacrifice fly.
Sophomore infielder Christian Martin had the Maroon bats firing early as he bounced a ground-rule double over the right field wall to start the home half of the first inning. Despite allowing the base runner, Orange redshirt-freshman starting pitcher Luke Jackman responded with back-to-back strikeouts, inducing the inning-ending fly out that ended the threat.
Jackman worked himself through traffic during the second and third innings, finishing with six strikeouts across his three-and-two-thirds innings on the mound.
However, Maroon caught a late break against Jackman when freshman infielder Garrett Michel (Denver, North Carolina) homered to left field during the bottom of the fourth inning. Michel's home run clinched the fourth inning for Maroon and put it ahead of Orange in two captions: run differential (+1) and series points (1-0).
After turning its second double play of the game during the fifth inning, Maroon played to win the sixth inning behind junior transfer Eddie Eisert (NC State), who stroked a leadoff double to center field. Eisert soon crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by sophomore infielder Warren Holzemer, who helped clinch the inning and up Maroon's lead in two captions: run differential (+2) and series points (2-0).
Orange rallied to win the seventh inning behind the leadoff work of freshman infielder Clay Grady (Suffolk, Virginia). After the rookie had been plunked with a 2-0 pitch from Siverling and walked into scoring position, he took third base on a wild pitch and scored on Hurley's fly ball to left field.
Maroon nearly matched Orange during the bottom of the seventh inning after Lucas Donlon had connected on a one-out triple to left center. However, Donlon was thrown out at home on the ensuing infield ball, allowing Orange to shave a run off the series run differential and earn its first series point.
UP NEXT
Game 2 of the Fall World Series will be contested on Sunday, Oct. 30, at 4:15 p.m. at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park. Any and all fans are encouraged to attend while taking advantage of free admission and open seating (ballpark concessions and concourse operations will be closed).