BLACKSBURG – Scoring 10 of its 13 runs courtesy of five home run swings on Friday, the No. 11 Virginia Tech baseball team powered its way to an ACC-opening victory as the Hokies stormed by Boston College, 13-3, at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park.
Carson DeMartini's three-run home run during the bottom of the third inning helped Virginia Tech (12-2, 1-0 ACC) break its 1-1 tie with Boston College (10-2, 0-1 ACC) and begin sprinting to its ninth consecutive victory. Jack Hurley and Carson Jones followed DeMartini with a solo homer and another three-run shot, respectively, capping the Hokies' seven-run inning that accounted for the difference in the ballgame.
Tech right-hand starter Griffin Green bounced back from surrendering a first-inning home run to Joe Vetrano to retire the next 11 BC batters, carrying himself into the fifth inning. Despite exiting there by loading the bases, Green racked up five strikeouts during the course of his four and one-third innings of work, holding the Eagles to two runs on two hits while walking a pair.
Teeing off on the first pitch he saw from starter John West during the bottom of the second inning, Eddie Eisert blasted the game-tying home run 440 feet to center field. Eisert, who is now tied with Chris Cannizzaro for the team lead in home runs (five), added a leadoff double during the bottom of the eighth inning, finishing 2-for-3 with three runs scored during his first ACC game since departing NC State.
Fifth-year shortstop David Bryant opened the Hokies' seven-run third inning by tripling into the right field corner. Tech's rally was aided by West issuing free passes to Christian Martin, Eisert and Garrett Michel, who each made slow trots home on the Hokies' sledgehammer-introducing swings.
After helping Green out of the fifth inning, Tech southpaw Henry Weycker collected 11 outs from 13 batters faced, blanking BC through the duration of his three and two-third innings of relief. For his effort, Weycker earned his second victory of the 2023 season (2-0).
Eisert's leadoff double during the eighth inning prompted five closing runs from the Hokies. Bryant came through with the two-RBI double that upped Tech's lead to 11-2, soon scoring on the other side of the Eagles' bullpen call courtesy of Martin's two-run home run to right center.
Owen DeShazo provided Boston College the last laugh, homering off Matthew Siverling to set the game's 13-3 score line.
UP NEXT
No. 11 Virginia Tech will eye clinching its first ACC series victory of the season on Saturday, March 11, when it hosts a 1 p.m. doubleheader against Boston College at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park.
Gallery: (3-10-2023) BSB: Boston College Game 1