BLACKSBURG – Leading from wire to wire on Tuesday night, the No. 23 Virginia Tech baseball team returned to prime form on both sides of the ball as the Hokies downed Radford, 7-1, at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park.
Sixth-year outfielder Chris Cannizzaro batted 3-for-4 with a double and a two-run home run, leading Tech with three RBIs – his best total since March 24 at Boston College. Christian Martin and Ben Watson chalked two hits apiece from the top of the Hokies' lineup with Watson scoring on Cannizzaro's eighth home run of the season.
Virginia Tech (24-10) kept marching forward throughout the night against Radford (10-23), staking the 3-0 lead after three innings of play before doubling its advantage to 6-0 by the end of the fifth inning. The Hokies – who defeated the Highlanders, 14-4, in nearby Radford on Feb. 27 – had a shutout brewing until the ninth inning when Zack Whitacre broke through with a solo home run hit off Wyatt Parliament.
Six Virginia Tech pitchers combined to rack up 10 strikeouts while holding Radford to four hits, including two hits through the game's first six innings. Right-hand reliever Grant Manning blanked the Highlanders during the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, picking up nine outs from 11 batters faced while recording three strikeouts.
Tech loaded the bases three batters into the bottom of the first inning, benefitting from leadoff singles by Martin and Watson, followed by a six-pitch walk drawn by Carson DeMartini. On an 0-1 pitch, Cannizzaro turned and bounced an RBI single through the left side, scoring Martin to put the Hokies on the board, 1-0.
Despite being held to a skinny run after stranding the bases loaded, Tech jumped again on Radford starter Jordan Irizarry during the bottom of the third inning, manufacturing a pair of runs.
With DeMartini aboard again via his second walk, Cannizzaro ripped a double down the left field line, introducing another scoring chance for the Hokies. Unconventionally, Eddie Micheletti Jr. brought a run home when his pop up in foul territory along the third base line put Whitacre on his backside, leaving him no chance to muscle a throw and catch DeMartini tagging to score.
Not long after, Cannizzaro darted home on a wild pitch, creeping Virginia Tech's lead up to 3-0.
Leading off the fifth inning, Watson cued a big frame for the Hokies, bouncing a ground-rule double over the wall in left center field. Two batters later, Cannizzaro brought Watson in with his two-run homer to the same part of the ballpark, foreshadowing a soon-to-be solo home run by Henry Cooke that put the Hokies in front, 6-0.
Madden Clement started and pitched two scoreless innings for Virginia Tech, issuing two strikeouts. Brady Kirtner improved to 5-0 upon earning the victory for his scoreless inning of relief while David Shoemaker and Matthew Siverling also contributed to the Hokies' shutout bid.
Virginia Tech has now won 12 of its last 14 head-to-head meetings against Radford.
UP NEXT
No. 23 Virginia Tech will prepare to host another top-25 ACC series this weekend when the Hokies cross bats with No. 7 Duke at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park. Game times are scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday (April 19), 7 p.m. on Saturday (April 20) and 1 p.m. on Sunday (April 21).
Gallery: (4-16-2024) BSB: Radford Game