Game 4 of the University of Nevada series was a Hokie home run derby mostly conducted by Rahiem Cooper (3), a batters’ clinic, and a work out for the bench. The Virginia Tech Hokies push across 24 runs in their final game in Reno. Nevada worked their score to double digits which salved a bit of the sting; however, the game was very out of hand by the top of the 6th inning. Tech heads to the airport and the long flight home with a two touchdown victory over the Wolf Pack 24-10.
Virginia Tech Hokies vs. Nevada Wolf Pack Game 4:
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
|
Virginia Tech (7-1) |
0 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
7 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
24 |
20 |
0 |
|
Nevada (2-6) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
10 |
10 |
1 |
Win: Nick Anderson (2-0) Loss: Cole Henderson (0-1)
The story of this game is the convincing batting clinic put on by most of the team. After opening up the first inning with the unusual move of starting Nick Anderson on the mound, neither team did too much. Anderson got in a bit of a scuffle in the Nevada half of the inning, but induced a ground ball to close out the frame on a goose egg.
The Hokies didn't swing the lumber too well in the top of the second. Nevada starting pitcher Cole Henderson seemed to lose control of his arm. He hit Nick Anderson (DH/P). Sam Fragale connected but that ball was caught. Henderson then beaned (accidentally I am sure.) Stevie Mangrum, and then loaded the bases by plonking Joe Freiday. That loaded the bases for Rahiem Cooper. Cooper is not known as a long ball hitter. Maybe that played into the defensive scouting for the game, maybe Cooper was just in a power groove, but the end result was a convincing Grand Salami punched over the left field wall.
Nick Anderson got a one, two, three bottom of the second with balls hit in the air directly to Hokies. The top of the 3rd started with a solo home run by Ryan Tufts, an out, and a single by Nick Anderson. Sam Fragale seemed to take offense to his fly ball in the prior inning and consequently followed up Cooper and Tufts to deep left field for a 2 run homer of his own.
The Wolf Pack replaced starting pitcher Henderson with ironically named reliever Anderson (Ryan, though). It really didn't stop the Pack's bleeding, though. Stevie Mangrum slapped a double into center. He advanced to third on a ground ball by Joe Freiday, and then scored on a wild pitch by Nevada's Anderson. That put Tech up 8-0 with lots of baseball left to play.
Nick Anderson cleared the next three Wolf Pack Batters with two strikeouts and a pop fly. The top of the fourth started with Rahiem Cooper playing monster mash to nab his second home run of the day. Ryan Anderson walked Jack Owens, and then Ryan Tufts drove him in with a sharp double down the 3rd base line. Nick Anderson picked up another RBI with a single to right field that scored Tufts. Sam Fragale got another ride on the hit wagon with a double that pushed Anderson to third, and Anderson off the mound. Nevada pitcher Luke Mattson had no Band-Aids, either. He walked Stevie Mangrum, and loaded the bases. He did get a bit of a break by striking out Joe Freiday, but then walked Matt Dauby for an RBI that also kept the bases loaded. He needed the final strike out of the inning, which was Rahiem Cooper. The damage was there, however. Tech lead 12-0.
The bottom of the 4th at least allowed Nevada to kill the skunk. Nick Anderson gave up two doubles in a row and that nearly always results in a score. The remainder of the inning Anderson shut down the Pack so Tech trotted to the dugout with a convincing 12-1 lead and 5 more innings of baseball to play.
The top of the 5th inning pretty much sealed the deal, and caused Coach Mason to start subbing in bench players at a steady clip. During the inning, Tech would put up 7 runs on a mix of singles, doubles, wild pitches, and Rahiem Cooper's magic bat drilling a second Grand Slam Home Run over the left field wall.
The score was 19 - 1 Hokies, and there isn't much fun in going on for the next few innings. Tech did have a bit of a scuffle and melt down over the 6th, 7th, and 8th, as deep bullpen pitching struggled a bit as Tim Salvadore struggled with his control hitting two batters, and then walking one. Chris Monaco also struggled a bit, so between the two Tech relievers Nevada generated 5 runs on 3-hits. Monaco tightened it back down for the remainder of the game, and finished it out with only two more Nevada runs crossing the plate.
Meanwhile the Hokie Bench went out to prove that they could hit the ball, too. Jake Rosen, and Marcus White both scored runs on play combinations. Matt Craples blasted a solo home run to the Hokie Ball Target in Left Field in the top of the 8th.
The final score, did indeed look like a two touchdown victory for the football team. There are plenty of kudos to go around but no one seriously doubts that center fielder Rahiem Cooper should get special mention for his amazing 3 home run, 9 RBI game.
Virginia Tech Box Score February 26th:
|
|
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
PO |
A |
LOB |
|
Jack Owens 3B |
4 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
Garrett Hudson 3B |
2 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
|
Ryan Tufts SS |
7 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
|
Tom Stoffel RF |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
Mac Caples PH/RF |
3 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Nick Anderson P/DH |
5 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
Sam Fragale 1B |
4 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
|
JD Mundy PH/1B |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
|
Stevie Mangrum LF |
1 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Grant Maiorana PH/LF |
2 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Joe Freiday, Jr. C |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
Marcus White PH/C |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
|
Matt Dauby 2B |
1 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
|
Jake Rosen 2B |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
Rahiem Cooper CF |
6 |
3 |
3 |
9 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
Tim Salvadore P |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Chris Monaco P |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
Totals |
48 |
24 |
20 |
22 |
6 |
9 |
27 |
11 |
6 |
Doubles: Tufts (2), Fragale, Mangrum
Home Runs: Tufts, Caples, Fragale, Cooper (3 - 2 Grand Slams)
RBI: Hudson, Tufts (3), Caples, Anderson, N. (2), Fragale (3), Maiorana (2), Dauby, Cooper (9)
It will be a happy but long flight home for the Hokies. They have lots to celebrate with this very dominant win, and a 3 to 1 victory on a road trip series victory to go with it. Tuesday, the Radford Highlanders come to our house for a one game touch and go. Then Tech will have a nice long weekend and single Tuesday game in Blacksburg. The weekend three game series with Binghamton, and then a single Tuesday game with Niagara. It's going to be a busy week and weekend for Gobbler Country. Lots of baseball. Hopefully the weather holds.
The countdown begins for the start of the ACC season. The Hokies open by visiting Duke in Durham, NC on March 10th. See the schedule, it's going to get really tough, really fast.