Well where were those sticks and that pitching yesterday and Friday? Virginia Tech lights up the engines and puts 12 across the plate, while keeping the Bulldogs from scoring even once. A 12-0 shutout closes out the Citadel series with a victory for a 1-2 season start.
First let's talk about Saturday's game. It was a 5-4 close shave that with the exception of an unfortunate 7 inning meltdown was going the other way, 2-1 for the Hokies. Nic Enright made it to the bottom of the 4th inning with only one run for the Bulldogs, while tech manufactured two runs in the 2nd and 3rd innings with good old fashioned small ball. Enright's game ended after three full innings, and Chris Monaco's 4th began with a walk, and things began to degrade from there. In baseball sometimes the bear just gets you, and young Mr. Monaco was roughed up by a combination of bad luck and fielding problems, but managed to get two outs, but with men on first and third, there was a pitching change made. Jon Woodcock took the mound and managed to get a ground out for the final but not before an unfortunate walk.
Woodcock's 5th and 6th innings were clean, but with a single in each. The 7th inning wouldn't go as well as the rescue of the 4th. A lead-off walk set the stage for a 1 out bases loaded fiasco, after a throwing error by Woodcock on a put out, and another unfortunate walk. Aaron Garity came in to suffer the ravages of the loaded base situation as a run walked in, and a 2 run double to right center. The Citadel would score one more run with a contact play fielder's choice. That unfortunately was all the Bulldogs needed, and a Tech two run rally in the top of the 8th was just not enough offense to get by El Cid.
Scoreboard and Box for Saturday February 20:
Virginia Tech (0-2) |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
4 |
10 |
3 |
The Citadel (2-0) |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
X |
5 |
6 |
3 |
|
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
PO |
A |
LOB |
Saige Jenco CF |
4 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
Grant Maiorana DH |
5 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
Tom Stoffel LF |
5 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
Max Ponzurick RF |
5 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Phil Sciretta 1B |
5 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
5 |
Sam Fragale 3B |
3 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
Joe Freiday, Jr. C |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
13 |
1 |
0 |
Matt Dauby 2B |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
Ryan Tufts SS |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
Nic Enright P |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Totals |
37 |
4 |
10 |
3 |
4 |
13 |
24 |
3 |
10 |
With an 0 and 2 start, and the threat of a series sweep is a serious emotional downer. While it is still early in the season, and the ACC is off in the distance, an 0 and 3 start isn't where any team wants to be. The Hokies batting struggled in the first two games. Their pitching was adequate, and sometimes excellent, but the bats were just not connecting. In the first game the strike zone seemed to be something that the umpire and the batter completely disagreed on. The umpire wins those arguments all of the time.
Sunday was a make or break to salvage something from the road trip for the home opener at English Field on the 23rd. The Hokies stepped up to the plate, in more ways than one for this one. It seems that a good part of the bench got a chance to get some time on the field, and the pitchers managed a wonderful 3 hit staff effort. Even with the two opening losses, Tech should feel proud of this effort, at least for the time that it took to get home and get cleaned up for homework assignments to be done.
Scoreboard and Box for Sunday February 21:
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
Virginia Tech (1-2) |
5 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
12 |
14 |
0 |
The Citadel (2-1) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
|
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
PO |
A |
LOB |
Saige Jenco CF |
5 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
|
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Grant Maiorana DH |
4 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
2 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Tom Stoffel LF |
4 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
|
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
Phil Sciretta 1B |
6 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
10 |
2 |
0 |
Max Ponzurick RF |
3 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Sam Fragale 3B/2B |
4 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
|
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Andrew Mogg C |
5 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
0 |
1 |
Matt Dauby 2B |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
Garrett Hudson 3B |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Ryan Tufts SS |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
Kit Scheetz P |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Totals |
45 |
12 |
14 |
11 |
5 |
11 |
27 |
10 |
12 |
Tech's offense showed up in the first inning. It started off with solid small ball, a single by Saige Jenco and a fielder's choice to move him to second. Then Tom Stoffel singled and Jenco scored. That's nice enough, to open up with a 1 out 1 run effort in the 1st, but the Hokies weren't finished. Stoffel lands on 2nd after a throwing error on a Phil Sciretta grounder to short. With both of them safe on 1st and 2nd, a wild pitch pushed them to 2nd and 3rd, followed by a walk issued to Max Ponzurick. This was bases loaded. How many baseball fantasies go with the play by play recited by every dreamer? "The bases are loaded, there's one out, and
In the top of the 2nd, Tech would add three more as Catcher Andrew Mogg would pump a 2 run double into the field shortly after Tom Stoffel's ground out RBI. Tech added 2 more runs with Sciretta adding an RBI to his list, and Stoffel scoring another run. Tech would add two more manufactured runs in the 5th and 6th. The offense explosion was nicely accompanied by a consistent 0 being notched by Tech pitching. Kit Scheetz, Cole Kragel, Luis Collazo, and Culver Hughes combined for a three hit, no run outing that will make any pitching coach feel good about the effort.
It's really hard to imagine a 12 run shellacking after two very closely played games, but sometimes in baseball redemption comes and it also ignites a fire. Baseball, early in the season, is often difficult to gauge. The players are a bit rusty. The timing is off. The weather is weird, cold, and often down right in hospitable.
Tuesday, East Tennessee makes the trip up I-81 to Blacksburg. The weather picture isn't very good. We'll see how things progress. There is still a whole lot of baseball to be played, and the biggest challenge of the early season will still be Mother Nature.