BLACKSBURG – Swinging four of its five home runs on Sunday from the bottom three spots in its lineup, the Virginia Tech baseball team completed the program's first three-game sweep of Georgia Tech as the Hokies cruised to the 9-2 victory at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park.
Fifth-year infielder David Bryant homered twice from the nine spot to lead Virginia Tech (21-12, 8-9 ACC), which has now won six of its last seven ACC games. Bryant, who subbed twice as the Hokies' starting third baseman with Carson DeMartini batting as designated hitter, went 2-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base, tying his career high for RBIs (four) for the first time since transferring from Radford after the 2022 season.
Virginia Tech right-hand starter Drue Hackenberg pocketed home runs by Bryant, Jack Hurley and Bryant again during the second, third and fourth innings on his way to toeing six strong innings on the mound for the Hokies. Clocking out at 100 pitches, Hackenberg allowed one run while striking out six batters and walking two, scattering eight hits inside his third winning decision of the season.
Relentless in its approach, Virginia Tech belted leadoff hits during five of its eight offensive innings, including three doubles and a home run. From start to finish, the "Hammerin' Hokies" pounded 10 of their 13 hits for extra bases, receiving two doubles from Carson Jones (3-for-5) as well as a double and a home run from freshman Garrett Michel (2-for-3, two RBIs).
Between Bryant's pair of homers, Hurley's solo home run during the third inning proudly extended the junior's hitting streak to 16 consecutive games. Hurley – who has now launched 11 home runs during his last 13 games – inched closer to the overall ACC lead with his 15th home run of the season, creeping one shy of Virginia's Jake Gelof (16) and Wake Forest's Brock Wilken (16).
Michel united with fellow rookie Brody Donay to open the sixth inning with back-to-back home runs that all but sealed the Hokies' win. Michel carried Jackson Vaughan's 2-2 pitch to straightaway center field for his eighth home run of the season, two pitches before Donay knocked his sixth homer of the year beyond the left field wall.
Brady Kirtner picked up Hackenberg at the start of the seventh inning, collecting three strikeouts to add to his series total. Including his Friday relief appearance, Kirtner fanned eight of the 12 Yellow Jackets he faced during the weekend.
Andrew Sentlinger, Jacob Exum and Matthew Siverling shut the door on Georgia Tech (20-16, 7-11 ACC), which combined to strand 12 runners on base during the afternoon. Angelo Dispigna doubled twice to lead the Yellow Jackets while Tyler Minnick squeezed a solo home run off Exum during the eighth inning.
Virginia Tech's three-game sweep of Georgia Tech set the program's longest head-to-head winning streak during series history. On Saturday, the Hokies clinched their first multi-game series victory against the Yellow Jackets since 2010 – their third all-time and their first such accomplishment in Blacksburg.
Sunday marked Virginia Tech's annual Day of Remembrance in memory of the 32 students and faculty members who were lost in campus tragedy on this date in 2007. The Hokies wore remembrance ribbons on the backs of their batting helmets and paused with Georgia Tech for a pregame moment of silence.
UP NEXT
Virginia Tech will motor back into midweek play on Tuesday, April 18, with a crosstown affair at regional foe Radford. First pitch between the Hokies and the Highlanders at Sherman Carter Memorial Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Gallery: (4-16-2023) BSB: Georgia Tech Game 3