Virginia Tech Hokies Walk off again! 4 - 3 vs. Quinnipiac

Ok, in baseball, there are some special things; suicide squeeze plays, grand slam home runs, double plays, and circus catches.  You get one extra special thing when you are the home team; you get to walk-off if you beat your opponent's score, regardless of the outs.  Sometimes a walk-offs are exciting come from behind feats of special baseball magic.  Sometimes they are the result of rescuing a blown opportunity to win the game in 8 ½ innings.  The Hokies baseball team has bitten both of those cookies this week.  March 1^st, we walked-off the Radford Highlanders after a thrilling 9^th inning three run rally.  Today, that scrappy Quinnipiac Bobcat team would not go away, and rallied three runs in the 9^th to threaten to send the 2^nd game of the double header into extra innings.  Fortunately, that didn't happen; here's what did and a taste of the thrilling finish.

Virginia Tech Hokies vs. Quinnipiac Bobcats - Game 2 of the Saturday double header:

Virginia Tech Box Score for Game 2:

Doubles: Jenco, Tufts, Stoffel

RBI: Tufts, Stoffel, Dauby

2-out RBI: Dauby (more clutch Dauby hitting)

Intentional Base on Balls: Stoffel

Stolen Bases: Jenco

Four runs on ten hits.  That's a bunch of offense without connecting in critical situations.  The Skipper will probably talk about that a bit.  A team getting 10 hits across 8 innings might expect to have a few more than 3 runs.  It might have helped a bit, since Quinnipiac decided that they'd wake up in the 9^th to prove the old Yogi-ism that "it ain't ovah ‘til it's ovah".

Today's second game featured Nic Enright as the starting pitcher.  To say that Enright was on fire is no exaggeration.  With the exception of an opening single in the first inning, by Robert Pescitelli, and an error in the top of the 2^nd Nic Enright pitched a stellar game where no one reached a bag from the 2^nd until he was relieved in the top of the eighth by Nick Anderson.  Enright went 7 full innings with one hit and five KO's.  That's something to remember in the scrap book.

Well, Tech would need Nic Enright, this evening, because the gas drained out of the offense's tank, and the engine sputtered and misfired all afternoon and into the evening.  The start was good, two doubles by Tufts and Stoffel, got Tufts across the plate before Quinnipiac pitcher, Justin Thomas, closed the door in the inning.

The Hokies wouldn't score again until the 4^th when Phil Sciretta scored after hitting a single and getting moved along by a walk drawn by MaxP, an advance on a fly ball by Nick Anderson, and then a 2 out clutch single by Matt Dauby.  Thomas survived without losing another run until he was pulled in the bottom of the 7^th after issuing a walk (Dauby) and getting slapped by a single (Hudson).  With one out and Dauby on third, Robert Tufts laid down a Sacrifice Bunt, and Dauby crossed the plate for the 3^rd run that Tech took into the 9^th.

Then baseball magic began to happen, or at least magic by Bobcat thinking.  Tech had already replaced Enright with Anderson (Who has a DH who is also a relief pitcher?) for the top of the 8^th, but Aaron McGarity was brought in for the save.  Sometimes in baseball, "stuff" happens.  Quinnipiac's Payero struck out, which boded well; but Pescitelli smacked a single followed by Saporito doing the very same thing off the right side.  The next batter, Batten doubled, and Pescitelli scored.  Then Iannoti singled deep enough to score Batten and Saporito.  McGarity finally got control over the situation to close out the inning, but the damage was done and the save was blown... hey, it happens sometimes... It becomes a huge opportunity for a team to pick up a struggling reliever.

Tech's offense stepped up to help out McGarity big time this evening.  Saige Jenco doubled to left field, after an unfortunate Fragale fly out.  With a runner in scoring position and one out, Quinnipiac decided to change pitchers.  It didn't help.  Robert Tufts drew a walk.  Quinnipiac's Alex Vargas, lost control of a pitch, so Jenco and Tufts advanced a base.  This put runners on 2^nd and 3^rd with one out.  That's dangerous territory for any baseball team; especially when facing a hot hitter like Tom Stoffel, so he was intentionally walked.  Unfortunately for the Bobcats, Vargas's control wasn't there and he threw the ball away... and allowed Jenco to score.  Of course, this being baseball, and there probably being a bucket of filth sitting somewhere on the bench ready to be used Tech didn't need another run.  It'd be really super to walk off on some magic homer, or clutch single; Tech will just have to settle for manufacturing a run in a tight situation and scoring on an error; twice in 4 days!

So we can break out a little whisk broom for this evening.  Sweeping a double header is rare.  Tech needs every win to build its skill and confidence as the ACC looms.  These are character building games, and having to win against a scrappy skilled opponent is helping Coach Pat Mason build what looks like a winning baseball team.  The Hokies are now 8 and 3 with a 6 game.. shhhhh we won't say it...

We have one more game against the Bobcats, tomorrow.  Let's see if someone has a broom or two in the clubhouse closet.

GO HOKIES!!!!!