Baseball has its ups and its downs. Virginia Tech Baseball at 8-1 wasn’t going to last. There are lots of really good teams out there, and there are just those days that nothing seems to go right. In baseball you can have a great day at the plate, with super batting performances and really solid base running. However, that particular day the starting pitching melts down and the relief struggles, too.

Yesterday afternoon was one of those days for Packy Naughton and the Hokies.

Virginia Tech vs University of Binghamton Game 1:

Win: Joe Orlando,(2-0  ) Loss: Packy Naughton (1-1)

The game started out with two pretty decent innings pitching. Packy made it through those frames with only one man on base each, one due to a throwing error, and one a walk. But "things" didn’t stay so good for the top of the 3^rd.

Packy had some control problems; he walked one, gave up a single, and then hit a batter. With the bases loaded, Binghamton’s First Baseman Brenden Skidmore doubled, driving in two. After a ground ball out, Packy gave up a two run single that made the score 4-0, and Tech would never get within more than a run for the remainder of the game.

Tom Stoffel did hit a home run during the bottom of the 3^rd but it was a solo shot and only nibbled at the lead. Nibbling can be good, if the pitching and fielding buckles down to freeze out the bad inning. Tech managed a goose egg for the top of the 4^th; but it was a scrambler with two singles and a crowd on base before Packy finally got the door shut.

Unfortunately for Tech, the Bearcats returned the favor and only Stevie Mangrum managed to get on base by drawing a walk. The top of the fourth came, and so did the Bearcats. They put up two more on a walk, and a fielding error followed by an RBI single. Coach Mason finally saw what he wanted to see, and pulled Packy off the mound. Graham Seitz came in to close out the inning, and unfortunately couldn’t manage to get it closed down without giving up an additional run.

The Hokies did come out loaded for Bearcat at the bottom of the inning. Jack Owens led off the inning with a single. Ryan Tufts was plonked, and then Nick Anderson grabbed an RBI single. Sam Fragale, evidently feeling much better after getting bashed in the nose on Tuesday, walloped a 3-run homer to left field, and that put the Hokies within one run of the Bearcats. As we noted before, though, that was the closest the Fighting Gobblers would get. The inning ended with no more scoring, and Tech’s game also ended without another run crossing the plate.

The Bearcats, on the other hand, had some plans. Seitz completely lost control, throwing three wild pitches and then hitting a batter. Coach Mason sent in Kit Sheetz to try to tighten down the screws, but to no avail. Sheetz struggled over two innings, giving up two runs – one of which was charged to Seitz.

Paul Hall was called in, and had less luck than Seitz or Sheets in the run department, giving up a total of 3 in 2/3rds of an inning. Dylan Hall eventually closed out the game with no more runs put up by Binghamton, but it was far too late to have any positive effect. The Bearcats had plated 12 runs, and Tech’s offensive production halted past the 5^th.

Virginia Tech Hokies Box Score for March 3^rd:

Home Runs: Stoffel, Fragale

RBI: Stoffel, Anderson, Fragale (3)

Errors: Tufts, Naughton

The Hokies and Binghamton play three more games. It’s cold sunny and windy in Blacksburg. Today, the double header is going to be a real challenge, especially after the disheartening loss from yesterday. Game 1 will be underway at noon (around the time of this posting).

Let’s see if the Hokies can get back to that winning attitude that ran away from Nevada and out lasted Radford.

GO HOKIES!!!!