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Virginia Tech Hokies Lose 2 to the Pitt Panthers: 6-5 and 8-3

Saturday Tech lost a tight one 6-5, Sunday Pitt scored 8 and then ran away and hid. Tech never caught up and Pitt took the game 8-3. Tech loses a chance for a series win.

OOPS! Tripped up again....again
OOPS! Tripped up again....again
Picture Courtesy of Dave Knachel - Virginia Tech Athletics

Saturday came some of the same news, a decent 7 innings of baseball and a lead that melted away in a flurry in the late innings.  Tech's baseball team just can't seem to get everything, including luck, running in the same direction at the same time.  This isn't softball guys; it's 9 not 7 innings.

Saturday was probably the hardest loss to take this weekend.

Virginia Tech Hokies vs Pittsburgh Panthers - Game 2:

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

R

H

E

Pittsburgh (16-14, 7-9)

0

0

3

0

0

1

0

2

0

6

16

1

Virginia Tech (12-24, 3-14)

1

1

3

0

0

0

0

0

0

5

11

2

W: T.J. Zeuch (4-0)    L: Cole Kragel (2-2)

By the end of the third inning Tech had stepped out to a decent 5 - 3 lead.  Jon Woodcock started the game, but needed a bit of a rescue in the top of the 3rd.  Nic Enright came in after Woodcock finally stopped the 3 run hemorrhage.   Tech was behind 3-2 as Pitt took to the dugout to grab their gloves.

Virginia Tech Hokie Box Score for Game 2, April 16th:

AB

R

H

RBI

BB

SO

PO

A

LOB

Saige Jenco CF

5

2

3

0

0

1

1

0

2

Tom Stoffel DH

5

1

1

0

0

1

0

0

2

Phil Sciretta 1B

5

0

1

0

0

2

7

4

1

Nick Anderson LF

4

1

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

Sam Fragale 3B

4

1

2

3

0

1

0

1

0

Joe Freiday, Jr. C

4

0

0

0

0

1

11

0

2

Ryan Tufts SS

4

0

0

0

0

0

1

1

0

Matt Dauby 2B

3

0

1

0

1

1

2

5

0

Rahiem Cooper RF

4

0

2

0

0

0

2

0

0

Jon Woodcock P

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

Nic Enright P

0

0

0

0

0

0

3

0

0

Cole Kragel P

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

Totals

38

5

11

3

1

7

27

13

7

Doubles: Jenco, Cooper

Home Runs: Fragale

RBI: Fragale (3)

Clutch RBIs: Fragale (2)

There was still hope in the air over English Field (don't forget the Union Park part...) because Tech had scored first, in the first inning with a scrambling manufactured unearned run by Saige Jenco, and then a solo shot homerun in the bottom of the 2nd by  Sam Fragale.  The Hokies have so far tended to win games that they have jumped out in the early innings.  The bottom of the third looked like the Hokies were going to do their level best to make good on that odd little stat.

Jenco and Stoffel slapped a couple of one out singles into the field, and Advanced to 3rd on a wild pitch.  More little league singles started happening, with Nick Anderson reaching base on a throwing error, and Jenco scored an unearned run.  Sam Fragale, who was playing with his hair on fire, promptly singled up the middle, advanced to 2nd on an error which allowed Nick Anderson and Tom Stoffel to score.  Tech was up 5-3, and there was some good news for a change.

Even with a manufactured run in the top of the 6th, Tech rolled into the top of the 8th with a 2 run lead, and a decent chance to grab a series win for a change.

The wheels fell off the cart in the top of the 8th with a rare Cole Kragle control meltdown.  Nic Enright started the inning but gave up a leadoff single.  That sent Pat Mason to the mound to call for his closer.  Kragel just didn't have much in the way of control and coughed up a wild pitch and a hit batter.  Then he lost the lead with another wild pitch, followed by an RBI single that left Tech 1 run behind, and 6 outs to make up 2.

Unfortunately only Saige Jenco managed to hit the ball in those two at-bats, and so the game ended 2 runs short.

Sunday's game was pretty much over by the 4th inning.  Packy Naughton gave up 8 runs by the 3rd inning, and Pitt never needed to score another run.  The Hokies made an attempt to rally in the bottom of the 4th, soring its entire 3 runs in that frame, but from then on the offense evaporated.  Pitt and Tech traded a few inconsequential hits and baserunners until the innings ran out.

Virginia Tech Hokies vs Pittsburgh Panthers - Game 3:

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

R

H

E

Pittsburgh (17-14, 8-9)

2

1

5

0

0

0

0

0

0

8

12

0

Virginia Tech (12-25, 3-15)

0

0

0

3

0

0

0

0

0

3

7

3

W: Garrett Wrambel (2-0)    L: Packy Naughton (2-5)

Virginia Tech Box Score for April 17th:

AB

R

H

RBI

BB

SO

PO

A

LOB

Saige Jenco CF

5

0

0

0

0

1

2

0

2

Tom Stoffel DH

3

0

1

0

0

1

0

0

1

Logan Bible PR

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Phil Sciretta 1B

5

1

1

0

0

0

9

2

2

Nick Anderson LF

4

1

2

0

0

0

1

0

1

Sam Fragale 3B

3

1

1

0

0

0

0

2

0

Andrew Mogg C

3

0

0

0

0

2

6

0

2

Joe Freiday, Jr. PH/C

1

0

0

0

0

0

2

0

0

Ryan Tufts SS

4

0

1

2

0

0

1

2

1

Matt Dauby 2B

3

0

0

0

0

1

3

4

0

Rahiem Cooper RF

2

0

1

1

1

0

3

0

0

Packy Naughton P

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

Connor Coward P

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

Totals

33

3

7

3

1

5

27

12

9

Doubles: Stoffel, Cooper

RBI: Tufts (2), Cooper

Sacrifice Flies: Cooper

Tech is now 12-25, 3-15 in the ACC.  There isn't much else to say other than each game has to be taken individually, and played for pride and building for next season.  At this stage of the semester, there isn't going to be much of anywhere to go after the season closes on May 21st.

We will continue to report, and hope that there is a turn around, not that there will be any approaches at a .500 season, but that we'll be some positive momentum as the season wraps.

Thin reeds make lousy baseball bats....


GO HOKIES!!!