BLACKSBURG- After a disappointing weekend series loss to Duke that caused Virginia Tech (26-12, 12-9) to drop out of the top 25, the Hokies are fired up. Tuesday, Tech had a field day, recording five home runs in a 24-5 victory over George Mason (17-21, 5-7).
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Freshman Madden Clement started his fourth game and pitched 2.1 innings, recording four strikeouts, three runs, and no walks. The Hokie bullpen, which struggled during games one and three of their Duke series, was incredibly strong, combining for 11 Ks, two walks, and only five runs.
The Patriots were the first to get on the board, recording an early two-run lead in the first inning. However, their lead did not last long as a single from Eddie Micheletti allowed Chris Cannizaro and Ben Watson to score, tying the game at two runs.
The Hokies did not stop there however, Carson DeMartini hammered one to right field allowing Micheletti to run home, followed by a homer from Gehrig Ebel and then David McCann. At the close of the first inning, Tech had built a strong seven-run lead.
“We minimized damage after giving up a free spot, which is good. They got a home run in the first inning but our guys came back with nine. Said head coach John Szefc. One of the things we stress is to be ready in the first inning and be ready right out of the gate. We don’t want to give up a free spot in the first, but we did answer with a nine so I can’t complain."
At the top of the third inning, the Patriots scored two more runs to chip into Tech’s seven-run lead, but the Hokies were quick to respond. Clay Grady and Christian Martin scored, and DeMartini slammed in his second home run of the night to establish Tech's nine-run lead.
“[DeMartini] has had a pretty steady career. He’s had a very good year, I wouldn’t say it’s been a great year. He almost had three home runs today and in the last two against Duke he almost had five straight swings in a row that went out of the park. He plays really consistent defense and he’s coming back from a major injury and surgery, so I have no problems with what he’s been doing, he’s been good,” Szefc said.
Tech’s bullpen held the Patriots scoreless until the final inning while the Hokie bats lit up the scoreboard.
During the bottom of the sixth, Tech brought out some new bats allowing Jake Slade, Warren Holzemer, and Carrington Aaron to pinch hit for the members of the starting lineup. Also, Nick Locurto, who was the only member of the starting lineup yet to get a hit, knocked out a triple that cleared the bases and tacked on three more runs for the Hokies bringing the score to 21-4.
Then, in the seventh there was more cause for celebration when Holzemer fired off his first career home run which allowed Slade and Henry Cooke to score, recording Tech’s final runs of the night for a final score of 24.
“I knew it was gone as soon as I hit it. The best part was seeing everyone jumping up and down, I think it shows how much everyone loves each other,” Holzemer said.
Tech has been immensely successful in its mid-week matchups, winning all but one of these games. The real challenge for this squad appears to be its ACC matchups, as it has lost its last three weekend series. The Hokies have yet another tough weekend ahead of them as they face UNC, the current leaders of the Coastal League.
“Our hitting approach is something big that we execute well. I’m excited to see how that affects our weekend series [with Carolina]. We didn’t walk that many guys this weekend [against Duke], so I’m really excited to see what the staff has been working on and looking forward to winning,” noted Holmzer.
A weekend series win will be imperative for Tech as the playoffs are fast approaching. Their weekend series with UNC will be held in Chapel Hill, NC, beginning Friday at 6 p.m. ET.
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