Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Held to a skinny run on Tuesday afternoon, the Virginia Tech baseball team witnessed its five-game winning streak come to an end against Radford as the Hokies finished on the wrong side of the teams’ 8-1 score line at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park.
Anderson French’s solo home run hit with one out during the bottom of the ninth inning allowed Virginia Tech (20-9) to avoid its first shutout by the Highlanders spanning the programs’ 72-game series history. French – who entered as a defensive replacement at catcher during the top of the ninth inning – charted the second home run of his rookie season with the Hokies, elevating his first-year batting average to .364 through 18 games played.
Virginia Tech’s three errors equated to a season high, despite only one taking place during a scoring inning. Radford (13-14) broke the game’s scoreless tie during the fifth inning with James Ward’s two-RBI double, two innings before unraveling the Hokies’ comeback hopes with its six-run seventh inning.
Doubles by Sam Tackett (first inning), Hudson Lutterman (second) and Ethan Gibson (fifth) went unanswered by Virginia Tech’s offense, which was outhit by the Highlanders, 10-6. Lutterman was the only player from the Hokies’ two-bagger bunch who advanced as far as third base, retaining that distinction until French’s home run during the ninth inning.
After shutting out Radford through four innings during the teams’ March 25 midweek affair, freshman left-hander Chase Swift did so again on Tuesday, pitching into the fifth inning for the first time during his rookie season.
Swift opened the fifth inning with his second strikeout of leadoff hitter Jhonkeanu Perez (his sixth of the ballgame) before walking shortstop Hunter Keen as the last batter he faced. Unfortunately for Swift, Keen came around to score on Ward’s double against reliever Marcel Kulik, leaving the southpaw on the hook for Tuesday’s tough-luck loss.
Luke Jackman stranded a Radford runner in scoring position to keep Virginia Tech’s deficit at 2-0 through six innings. However, Jackman allowed the first two Highlanders he faced during the seventh inning to reach base, cueing the big inning that derailed the Hokies’ comeback chances.
Against right-hander Luke Craytor, Radford scratched its third run across when Lutterman errantly threw away Ward’s bunted base hit, leaving runners at the corners. Eli Hudgins doubled in Breckin Nace to put the Highlanders on top, 4-0, while Tyler Sparrer slapped a ground ball into the ground and over the head of second baseman Jared Davis, bringing Ward in for the 5-0 advantage.
Tyler Kehoe delivered a second bunt single for Radford against Craytor, who exited soon after allowing his fifth hit – a two-RBI single up the middle by Keen.
Nace, the Highlanders’ starting pitcher and designated hitter, earned the win while tossing five and one-third scoreless innings pitched, allowing three hits. He also batted 1-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored.