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It was reasonable baseball weather in Blacksburg, today. Well, it was reasonable for the Southwestern Virginia section of the New River Valley. Quinnipiac is playing a squeezed in three game series at Virginia Tech. I suppose anywhere south from western Connecticut is "south". Today's game looked to be interesting. The Bobcats are stopping over at Tech after starting off their season 3-1 against Appy State. Again, in baseball, just because you are a small school doesn't mean that you don't play big baseball. Quinnipiac pulled off its record by playing two double-headers in two days. That's some serious grinding. We had better come with our "A" game if we are going to win more than the opener.
Virginia Tech Hokies vs. Quinnipiac Bobcats:
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
|
Quinnipiac (3-2) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
6 |
0 |
|
Virginia Tech (6-3) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
X |
5 |
7 |
0 |
Virginia Tech Box Score March 4th:
|
|
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
PO |
A |
LOB |
|
Saige Jenco CF |
4 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
|
Grant Maiorana DH |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Tom Stoffel LF |
4 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Phil Sciretta 1B |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
0 |
2 |
|
Max Ponzurick RF |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
Sam Fragale 3B |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
|
Joe Freiday, Jr. C |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
|
Nick Anderson PH |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Rahiem Cooper PR |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Andrew Mogg C |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
Matt Dauby 2B |
3 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
0 |
|
Ryan Tufts SS |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
|
Packy Naughton P |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Connor Coward P |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Paul Hall, Jr. P |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Aaron McGarity P |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Totals |
30 |
5 |
7 |
5 |
5 |
9 |
27 |
11 |
8 |
Doubles: Stoffel, T.; Anderson, N.
RBI: Maiorana, Stoffel (2), Anderson, Dauby
SB: Sciretta
The game looked like it was going to be another pitcher's duel with some clutch fielding and lack of sustained solid contact plaguing both teams. Tech didn't get across the plate until the 2 third of the fifth inning. Packy Naughton started for the Hokies and gets the credit for the win. It was close, and he got in a tight spot by giving up two in the top of the 6th, one earned. He was pulled for some much needed relief, and the Bobcats didn't put any more runs across the plate. An able combination of Connor Coward, Paul Hall, Jr., and Aaron McGarity helped him keep the damage to 2 runs for the Bobcats.
Tech's offense was slow to get off the mark this afternoon. There were a few hits and a few threats through four and a half; but eventually things started to look up offensively when Matt Dauby drew a lead-off walk (Where have you heard the story from me?) Tufts bunted to sacrifice Dauby over to 2nd. Quinnipiac's pitcher lost control of one, and Dauby ended up standing on third. Saige Jenco worked a walk on a 3-1 count. With runners on the corners and one out, Grant Maiorana laid down a bunt to avoid the DP and try to score Dauby from third. It was obviously a perfect bunt, because Dauby scored, Maiorana was safe at first, and Saige Jenco was safe at 2nd.
Quinnipiac's pitcher, Jenkins, lost control of another pitch, and both Tech baserunners advanced. That put Tom Stoffel in prime position to deliver a clutch hit. Which he promptly did, thus plating both Jenco and Maiorana. Tech led 3 - 0 and then gave up their half of the inning on a couple of strikeouts and a walk.
Three was all the Hokies needed, though. It got really close in the next inning, when Packy developed that problem by hitting the other guys' bats. He gave up two singles that put men on 1st and 2nd. He got the next player to ground into a double play, but that put a man on third. Coach Mason pulled Packy, and Connor Coward seemed to run into control and bat hitting problems as well. He walked a batter, and then gave up a double that scored both. One run was charged to Naughton, and one to Coward.
Coward's top of the 7th started off with a Quinnipiac single, and after a sacrifice bunt and a pop out, Hall was put in to finish off the inning. The Bobcats' Pescitelli grounded out to the shortstop and the inning ended with some nerves a tad jangled and the knowledge that one run is a slim lead when your defense is struggling a bit, and the offense was limited to one inning. The game remained 3-2 until the bottom of the 8th, when the Hokies' Sam Fragale drew a walk, and Nick Anderson (pinching for Joe Freiday, Jr.) slugged a solid double deep enough to score Fragale. Rahiem Cooper was subbed in to pinch run for Anderson. That put some much needed insurance on the scoreboard, but Tech wasn't finished. Cooper advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a fielder's choice. That would finish the Tech scoring for the day, but with the Bobcats shut down for the top of the 9th, Tech earns its fourth win in a row.
The win has boosted the Hokie win - loss record to 6 and 3. Tomorrow is a big double header with these very same and still very dangerous Bobcats. The first game starts at noon. With the students away for Spring Break, it might be a small event. Let's hope the Hokie Bird is waving around a broom tomorrow evening.