Hokie ClubCORAL GABLES, Fla. – Holding a 3-1 lead at the midway point of Friday's series opener, the No. 17 Virginia Tech baseball team was unable to finish the deal against Miami as the Hokies succumbed to a walk-off double by Yohandy Morales during their 4-3 defeat at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.
Tech right-hand starter Griffin Green settled into his fifth start of the season, bouncing back from allowing a run during the first inning. Green sprinkled six strikeouts between the seven hits he conceded, providing the Hokies with enough leg room to take their midgame lead.
Eddie Eisert brought Virginia Tech (12-5, 1-3 ACC) level with Miami (12-6, 3-1 ACC) at the start of the fourth inning. On a 2-0 count, the junior outfielder hammered his team leading, sixth home run to right center field, knotting the game at 1-1 and prompting the Hokies' best offensive inning.
Following Eisert, rookie designated hitter Garrett Michel drove a double into right field, sliding safe under the tag at second base. After Michel's slide was upheld by review, Carson Jones continued Tech's power hitting spell, crushing a two-run home run to right center to put the Hokies on top, 3-1.
Despite starting the fifth inning by establishing a two-strike count against leadoff man CJ Kayfus, Green allowed Kayfus to reach via walk, opening the door for Miami to chip a run off Tech's lead. With Kayfus swiping second base – his second of two steals – Edgardo Villegas proceeded to find the hole on the right side with his RBI single, trimming the Hokies' lead to 3-2.
Redshirt-sophomore reliever Brady Kirtner picked up Green, retiring five straight batters while striking out the Hurricanes in order during the sixth inning. Kirtner's line marked his ninth consecutive scoreless and hitless outing, spanning seven and two-thirds innings pitched.
Inheriting runners at the corners with no outs during the bottom of the seventh inning, Christian Worley minimized Tech's damage, despite surrendering the game-tying RBI single to Kayfus. With the bases loaded, Worley induced a foul out and a swinging strikeout to strand three Hurricanes, later bringing the Hokies into the ninth inning.
Held to one hit from the fifth inning onward – a sixth-inning double by Jones – Tech was left vulnerable during the bottom of the ninth inning. Henry Weycker picked up two outs before plunking Villegas, setting up Morales to drop Weycker's 2-2 pitch in the right center gap for the game-winning, walk-off double.
Jones led Virginia Tech with his two extra-base hits while Morales finished 3-for-4 with a double to lead Miami's offense. The Hurricanes put up 10 hits to the Hokies' five.
UP NEXT
No. 17 Virginia Tech will vie to even and win its weekend series at Miami on Saturday, March 18, when the Hokies contest a doubleheader against the Hurricanes. First pitch of game one at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field is scheduled for 2 p.m. while game two will begin one hour after the conclusion of game one.