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Penultimate; it means next to the last. This past weekend was the next to the last ACC series, and Sunday was the next to the last home game for the 2016 season. We talked about some of all of that in the Season wrap-up. There is some baseball left, but with the Hokies bound for Summer break and other things by May 21; it just seemed to be time to talk about finales.
Tech's series with Wake was interesting to say the least. Game 1 was a disappointment for Kit Sheetz who now has a .500 record on the books heading into the last 4 games a presumably his final start of the season.
Virginia Tech Hokies vs The Demon Deacons of Wake Forest: Game 1
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
|
Wake Forest (30-19, 12-13) |
0 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
12 |
11 |
1 |
|
Virginia Tech (18-32, 5-20) |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
6 |
11 |
0 |
W: Parker Dunshee (8-3) L: Kit Scheetz (5-5)
There is always a certain amount of disappointment when the offense scores six but the defense gives up double that. It's happened more than a few times this season. Unfortunately this one had to happen to Kit Sheetz who didn't seem to be able to get the ball over the plate without someone from Wake smacking it somewhere. It was a good enough start for the first inning, but that ended Sheetz's goose-egg frames. Wake turned up the heat, and steadily put runs on the board until Ryan Lauria was sent in to staunch the bleeding. Tech's offense scored a few in the later innings, but it wasn't nearly enough.
Friday the 13th lived up to its reputation for the Hokies.
Virginia Tech Hokie Box Score May 13th:
|
|
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
PO |
A |
LOB |
|
Saige Jenco CF |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
Ryan Tufts SS |
4 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
|
Tom Stoffel RF |
5 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
5 |
0 |
5 |
|
Phil Sciretta 1B |
4 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
|
Nick Anderson LF |
5 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
|
Sam Fragale 3B |
3 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
|
Andrew Mogg C |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
6 |
0 |
2 |
|
Garrett Hudson DH |
3 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Matt Dauby 2B |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
|
Mac Caples PH |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Chris Meador 2B |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Joe Freiday, Jr. PH |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
Kit Scheetz P |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Ryan Lauria P |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Totals |
37 |
6 |
11 |
5 |
7 |
11 |
27 |
4 |
12 |
Doubles: Tufts (2), Stoffel, Sciretta, Anderson, Hudson, G.
Home Runs: Fragale
RBI: Stoffel, T.; Anderson, N.; Fragale, S. (2); Hudson, G.
Men Left on Base: 12
Game 2 ended up being a different story, and a score from a totally different sport. It was a hitter's dream that ended up with more of a football than baseball score. Tech topped Wake 20-13, and Justin Fuente wasn't coaching this one.
Virginia Tech Hokies vs The Demon Deacons of Wake Forest: Game 2
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
|
Wake Forest (30-20, 12-14) |
2 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
13 |
16 |
1 |
|
Virginia Tech (19-32, 6-20) |
4 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
6 |
4 |
0 |
X |
20 |
19 |
0 |
W: Chris Monaco (1-1) L: Donnie Sellers (4-4)
Wake Forest would go through seven total pitchers in the contest. Tech only used three, but Connor Coward only pitched for a partial inning with little control so was quickly replaced by Monaco. Packy Naughton started and went for 4; Monaco completed the game for the win.
It was certainly a wild contest. Tech led or was tied for most of the game, but Wake would go 2 runs up in the top of the 5th. That only lasted until Joe Freiday, Jr. 2 run homer and Saige Jenco scored Logan Bible for the go ahead run.
Tech would lose the lead again in the top of the sixth, but took it back for good with a thunderous repeated blast of batting in the bottom of the 6th. Tom Stoffel hit a solo shot to open the scoring in the inning. Garrett Hudson added three with a homer that also scored Fragale and Anderson. Logan Bible tripled in Freiday, and then Jenco hit a SAC fly to score Bible. The inning ended with the score WF:11 VT:16 and tech never looked back. There would be another scoring flurry of 4 runs in the bottom of the 7th inning, and then Tech seemed to turn off the gas.
Wake scored a couple of runs in the top of the 9th, but Monaco finally closed the door and Tech picked up a pride saving win.
Virginia Tech Hokie Box Score May 14th:
|
|
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
PO |
A |
LOB |
|
Saige Jenco CF |
4 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
|
Ryan Tufts SS |
6 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
|
Tom Stoffel LF |
6 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
Phil Sciretta 1B |
6 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
2 |
|
Nick Anderson DH |
5 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Sam Fragale 3B |
4 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
Garrett Hudson 2B |
3 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
Joe Freiday, Jr. C |
4 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
9 |
0 |
1 |
|
Logan Bible RF |
5 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
|
Packy Naughton P |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Connor Coward P |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Chris Monaco P |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Totals |
43 |
20 |
19 |
19 |
4 |
7 |
27 |
6 |
6 |
Doubles: Tufts, Sciretta, Anderson, Hudson
Triples: Bible
Home Runs: Stoffel, Anderson, Hudson, Freiday
RBI: Jenco (2), Stoffel (3), Sciretta, Anderson (3), Fragale (2), Hudson (4), Freiday (3), Bible
Clutch RBI: Jenco, Hudson, Freiday (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Jenco, S.
Stolen Bases: Jenco, Bible
Wake returned the favor for Saturday, on Sunday.
Virginia Tech Hokies vs The Demon Deacons of Wake Forest: Game 3
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
|
Wake Forest (31-20, 13-14) |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
15 |
17 |
3 |
|
Virginia Tech (19-33, 6-21) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
W: Donnie Sellers (5-4) L: Cole Kragel (2-3)
Tech managed a flurry of scoring, five runs to tie up the game in the bottom of the 5th, but overall the Hokies' bats were quiet for the remainder of the game. Wake steadily added runners and pushed 2 and 3 runs across the plate in each of the last four innings. Tech didn't even manage to get past 2nd base for the last four.
Tech pitching was uneven for the game, with Nick Anderson being brought in to cover for a couple of innings. Kragel unfortunately gets "credit" for the loss.
Virginia Tech Hokie Box Score May 15th:
|
|
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
PO |
A |
LOB |
|
Saige Jenco CF |
4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
|
Ryan Tufts SS |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
5 |
0 |
|
Tom Stoffel LF |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Phil Sciretta 1B |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
|
Nick Anderson DH/P |
4 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Luis Collazo P |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Sam Fragale 3B |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Andrew Mogg C |
4 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
10 |
1 |
0 |
|
Matt Dauby 2B |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
|
Logan Bible RF |
3 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
Jon Woodcock P |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Cole Kragel P |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Totals |
31 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
2 |
5 |
27 |
11 |
3 |
Double: Jenco
RBI: Jenco, Tufts, Mogg, Bible (2)
Sacrifice Fly: Tufts
There are only four games left in the season. VMI comes to Union Park for a Senior Night home game finale, before the team takes one more road trip. The two and a half hour bus ride to Hooville will be time to reflect on the season, and maybe a bit of redemption if we can nab one or two from the formidable (When do we get to say that about the Hokies?) UVA Wahoo's baseball team.