BLACKSBURG – With rookie arms Griffin Stieg and Andrew Sentlinger uniting for five and one-third scoreless innings on Wednesday afternoon, the Virginia Tech baseball team built as large as a five-run lead against Marshall as the Hokies penned the Thundering Herd, 5-3, at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park.
Making the first start of his collegiate career, Stieg dealt two and one-third innings for Tech, scattering two hits and striking out three batters – all looking – before passing the torch. Sentlinger proceeded to work himself out of a bases-loaded jam during the third inning, logging three innings of relief while fanning a rookie season high, five batters.
Virginia Tech (26-16) broke the game's scoreless tie during the bottom of the fourth inning when freshman catcher Brody Donay muscled a solo home run over the batter's eye in straightaway center field. According to in-game Trackman data, Donay's home run was charted at carrying 520 feet with an exit velocity of 116 miles per hour.
Tech's offense continued to rally behind Donay's blast as Garrett Michel drew a five-pitch walk off reliever Chad Heiner, soon stopping at third base when Christian Martin shuttled Heiner's 2-0 pitch into the left center gap for a double. Clay Grady then upped the Hokies' lead to 2-0 by delivering a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Michel with ease from third base.
With Sentlinger cruising, Virginia Tech head coach John Szefc lifted the rookie with one out and the bases clear during the sixth inning, electing for right-hander Brady Kirtner. The redshirt-sophomore proceeded to retire five of the first six batters he faced, preserving the Hokies' two-run lead into the seventh inning.
There, Tech needed two swings of the bat to double its lead. Following Sam Tackett's leadoff single, Carson Jones crushed a two-run home run to left field, circling the bases for his ninth home run of the season – the Hokies' 80th round-tripper of the spring.
Reaching by walk behind Jones, Carson DeMartini went from first to third when Eddie Leon's pickoff attempt flew errantly wide of first baseman Daniel Carinci, resulting in a two-base error. Donay finished by tacking a second RBI onto his stats line, delivering the sacrifice fly that bumped Tech's lead to 5-0.
Marshall (16-26) did not go quietly, rallying for three runs during the top of the eighth inning against Kirtner. After Carinci had doubled Owen Ayers into scoring position, Kyle Schaefer connected on a two-RBI single, later scoring on Calin Smith's RBI base hit that trimmed the margin to 5-3.
Freshman right-hander Jacob Exum put the cap on a highlight day for the Hokies' rookie class, toeing the final five outs to stamp his first career save.
In total, Virginia Tech's freshman pitchers combined to throw seven shutout innings on the mound, account for nine of the team's 11 strikeouts, allow five hits and issue two walks. Offensively, the Hokies' rookie bats also introduced three of Tech's four run-scoring balls in play.
UP NEXT
Virginia Tech will take its bye from ACC play this weekend when the Hokies welcome Bowling Green to Blacksburg for a three-game weekend series, beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday, May 6. First pitch times of Saturday's doubleheader are scheduled for 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park.
Gallery: (5-4-2023) BSB: Marshall Game