Virginia Tech Hokies Lose the Series to Louisville in a Sweep

Well this weekend there was little sideways allowed by the prediction mill.  The Cardinals are ranked in the top five, and deservedly so.  Tech is plumbing the basement of the ACC and "sideways" would be a blessing at this point.

In an unusual Sunday 2^nd game, the Hokies just didn't have "IT".  In fact "IT" is something that Tech seems to have lost track of somewhere on campus, and just really haven't successfully found "IT".  Maybe it's hiding out at the Math Emporium between a couple of computer terminals.

There are days when writing up a game that you feel like maybe the effort isn't worth it.  Writing for your college baseball team when it is struggling, over-matched, and losing by football scores is especially difficult.

One can imagine how it feels to put on the uniform and take the field after a long trip, an a stay in a strange hotel or dorm room.  My wife relayed that she saw the visiting team at breakfast at a local Blacksburg hotel, in uniform (which speaks volumes about Whit Babcock's project to improve the Virginia Tech baseball facilities) and headed out talking about winning an easy one, but they were being respectful and warning each other that things could go sideways.

Virginia Tech Hokies vs Louisville Cardinals: Game 2

W: Drew Harrington (6-1)    L: Jon Woodcock (1-6)

Jon Woodcock took the mound in the 1^st, and after a promising opening inning, and a single run scrambling. manufactured single run in the bottom of the 2^nd looked like he was going to be able to make a game of it from the defensive end.  The three goose eggs left on the board; though there was a bright spot in the top of the 2^nd where we threatened with men on 2^nd and 3^rd with 1 out.  Maybe they should have sent Nick Anderson home, anyway.  At least there would have been a play at the plate and a chance for a run.

Woodcock's 3^rd inning started off with a Louisville homer, then was followed by a walk, a single, a sac bunt, another single (RBI), and ended with a 2 run double.  Coach Mason rescued his foundering pitcher, but Joey Sullivan fared little better as the Cardinals batted around and back down their lineup for 9 total runs in the inning.

From that point on, the Cardinal offense put it in cruise control and the Hokie defense recovered a  tiny bit of competence to allow only 3 more runs after the 3^rd.  Suffice it to say there were no bats to mention after the big threat in the 2^nd, except that in the top of the 6^th, Nick Anderson tried to kill the skunk but was thrown out at the plate.  It was an appreciated effort; but it still went for naught in the scoring books.

Virginia Tech Hokie Box Score for April 3^rd:

Double: Fragale

The Hokies just didn't seem to have much energy on this one.  It's tough to see and hear how things are going while announcers are talking about things to make a disaster seem interesting; well it was interesting to Cardinal fans I can guarantee that, but Hokies nozzomush...

Monday's effort was a great improvement.  Louisville was leading by one run as the game entered the bottom of the 8^th inning; 3 - 4, and Tech looked like it might be able to scramble across the plate one or two more times to get something back out of all of this disappointment.  Such was not the case though.  Packy Naughton pitched an absolute gem for the Hokies.  He got bitten for a solo homer in the bottom of the 4^th, and had to scramble to get out of the inning.  He did limit the damage, though.

Virginia Tech Hokies vs Louisville Cardinals: Game 3

W: Kyle Funkhouser (3-2)    L: Packy Naughton (2-4)

Unfortunately for Packy, he was left in too long, and Louisville broke the 1 - 1 tie in the bottom of the 7^th and put 3 scrambling runs across the plate before they were stopped.  Tech would rally back 2 runs in the top of the 8^th with a Stoffel single, a balk assist, a walk for Anderson and an RBI double by Fragale.  Tufts scored Anderson after a Louisville pitching change with a SAC fly.  Tech had a chance.

Virginia Tech Hokie Box Score for April 4^th:

Doubles: Sciretta, Fragale, Freiday

RBI: Fragale, Tufts

SF: Tufts

Then Packy Naughton showed up on the mound for the bottom of the 8^th; and out of gas and luck, a man advanced to 2^nd on a leadoff double.  Louisville was playing small ball for the run, and sacrifice bunted him to third.  Packy reached down and got a 2^nd out on a ground ball.  Normally solid Cole Kragel was put on the mound to get the last out and preserve the 1 run gap; but sometimes control just doesn't match desire.  Kragel gave up an RBI double, he walked a batter, and hit one with a pitch.  Coach Mason replaced him with Luis Callazo, and then Ryan Lauria.  No one did better than anyone else, and by the end of the late meltdown, the Cardinals had built up a 6 run lead that was impossible to span with an iffy offense.

Tech went down in order in the top of the 9^th, and Louisville won it running away 9-3.

No one is fooling anyone by saying that there were bright rays of sunshine or a couple of good inning here or there were an improvement.  This sweep, though expected, is a difficult pill to swallow; a baseball sized pill at that.

We come home for a Military Appreciation Day versus the William and Mary Tribe, tomorrow of all days at 1730 hours (that's 5:30 PM to you civilians).   The Hokies have a chance to get something in the win column.  Let's hope that they have some gas left in the tank.

GO HOKIES!!!