BRIGHTON, Mass. – Scoring seven runs during the seventh inning to break away from a 3-3 game on Sunday, the No. 19 Virginia Tech baseball team mechanically wore down Boston College to win, 12-6, sweeping the teams' three-game series this weekend at Harrington Athletics Village.
Chris Cannizzaro's two-run home run and Henry Cooke's two-RBI triple went down as the Hokies' lone hits during their seven-run rally that distanced themselves from what had previously been a competitive weekend finale. In total, Tech brought 11 batters to the plate during its seventh inning extravaganza, benefitting from six free bases by BC pitching, including five of the Eagles' 11 walks (equating to their season high).
With the victory, Virginia Tech (18-4, 8-1 ACC) chalked its sixth consecutive win, tying its longest streak of the 2024 regular season. The Hokies – who have now swept three of their six multi-game series this year – depart Sunday with the best winning percentage among ACC clubs (.889), having achieved the program's best 22-game start and its best nine-game ACC start since joining the conference prior to the 2005 campaign.
Tech scratched two runs across during the top of the first inning, backing right-hand starter Griffin Stieg out of the gate.
Leadoff second baseman Christian Martin worked a count full against BC right-hand starter Michael Farinelli, who ended up hitting Martin to begin his afternoon. Carson DeMartini followed by singling Martin into scoring position, from where he scored with ease on Cannizzaro's RBI base hit into center field.
Eddie Micheletti Jr. bumped Tech's lead to 2-0 during the next at-bat, lifting a sacrifice fly to center field that allowed DeMartini to tag and score for the visitors. DeMartini was at the center of another scoring play for the Hokies during the top of the third inning, smacking a leadoff homer to right field for his team leading, 13th home run of the season.
Stieg started with two scoreless, hitless innings, though ran into trouble for the first time during the bottom of the third inning. After back-to-back leadoff singles by Sam McNulty and Cameron Leary, Stieg surrendered a run on Vince Cimini's RBI groundout that preempted an RBI single by Patrick Roche.
Holding the 3-2 lead and facing two runners in scoring position, Stieg managed to strike out Parker Landwehr with his outside breaking ball, inducing swing-and-miss action. Stieg ultimately lasted four and one-third innings, registering six strikeouts while holding the Eagles to two runs on four hits.
With Tech unable to add to its one-run lead, Boston College (11-11, 2-7 ACC) succeeded in plating the game's tying run during the bottom of the sixth inning. John Collins delivered a pinch-hit double for the Eagles that put two runners in scoring position with no outs recorded, sending the Hokies into their bullpen to grab Brady Kirtner.
Kirtner was tested immediately off the mound, having to charge forward on a safety bunt by McNulty and glove-flip to Cooke for the first out of the inning. Despite striking out Nick Wang for the second out of the inning, Kirtner's first curveball to Learly resulted in the wild pitch that plated the game-tying run, leveling the score at 3-3.
Tech tacked on two runs during the top of the eighth inning to extend its lead to 12-3. Boston College scored three runs back during its final two offensive innings, prolonging defeat by Beck Milner and Austin Harstell's back-to-back solo homers with two outs during the ninth inning.
UP NEXT
Virginia Tech will vie to extend its six-game winning streak on Tuesday, March 26, when the Hokies host Marshall at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.