BC Baseball: Hokies Use Long Ball In 10-6 Win Over Eagles

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BC BASEBALL: Home Runs Propel Hokies to Victory Over Eagles
Strem hits 52nd career double to move up in BC record books

Box Score (PDF)

GAME INFORMATION
Score: Virginia Tech 10, Boston College 6
Records: Boston College (8-16, 1-10 ACC) at Virginia Tech (16-13, 6-6 ACC)
Location: English Field at Union Park in Blacksburg, Va.
Series: VT clinches the series, 2-0

BC HIGHLIGHTS

Senior Michael Strem doubled and drove in a run for the Eagles. His 52 career doubles are tied for second in BC record books.

Sophomore Jake Alu led the way for the Eagles on offense, going 3-for-5.

Sophomore Gian Martellini hit his second home run of the season in the ninth.

Freshman Jack Cunningham was 2-for-4 with two runs scored in his second career start for the Eagles.

Senior Johnny Adams drove in two runs and drew a walk to extend his on-base streak to 10 games.

Sophomore LHP Zach Stromberg threw two innings of scoreless relief. He allowed just two baserunners – both on hit by pitches –and struck out three.

KEY PLAYS

Virginia Tech jumped out to an early, 3-0 lead and each time the Eagles got within one, the Hokies were able to pull away.

The Hokies used the long ball to score seven runs, notching four in the game.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Hokies scored two in the first and one in the second to take the early, three-run lead. In the first, Jack Owens drew a lead-off walk and Ryan Tufts followed with a double. Tom Stoffel hit a sac fly to plate the first run. Sam Fragale hit a grounder to third to plate Tufts. Freshman Brian Dempsey‘s throw bounced to first, allowing Fragale to reach, but sophomore left-handed starter Dan Metzdorf was able to get two ground balls to end the inning. With two outs in the second, Rahiem Cooper hit a solo shot over the center-field fence.

The Eagles scored two in the third, capitalizing on Hokie errors, to cut the lead to one. Cunningham led off with a base hit and left fielder Mac Caples’ errant throw allowed him to move to second. Dempsey hit a grounder to third, but first baseman Fragale couldn’t glove the throw, allowing runners to move to second and third. Cunningham scored on a wild pitch and Adams grounded out to short to plate the Eagles’ second run.

Virginia Tech got one back in the bottom of the inning with back-to-back doubles by Tufts and Stoffel.

The Eagles cut it to one again in the fifth. Junior Donovan Casey knocked a one-out single to left and moved to second when Adams drew a walk. Strem doubled to left center to plate Casey. With two down, junior Mitch Bigras was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but a chopper to second ended the BC scoring threat.

Virginia Tech added two more in the fifth to take a 6-3 lead as Stoffel doubled and Fragale hit a home run to left center. Centerfielder Strem made a leaping catch at the wall for the second out, stealing extra bases from the Hokies.

BC got back within one in the sixth with RHP Andrew McDonald on the mound. Freshman Dante Baldelli drew a lead-off walk and Cunningham followed with a base hit up the middle. Dempsey moved both runners into scoring position with a sac bunt. Casey drove in Baldelli with a single through the left side. With runners on the corners, Adams laid down a bunt and the Eagles scored on the safety squeeze to make it a 6-5 game. Strem drew a walk to keep the inning alive, but Casey was gunned down at third for the third out.

The Hokies scored five in the bottom of the inning on two home runs off sophomore RHP John Witkowski to take a 10-5 lead. Joe Freiday, Jr. notched a lead-off solo home run before Witkowski got a strikeout swinging for the first out. He gave up back-to-back singles and Stoffel hit a three-run shot to center. After hitting a batter, Witkowski was able to get a 643 double play to end the inning.

In the ninth, Martellini hit a one-out solo shot to dead center field for the Eagles’ sixth run of the game.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

The home runs allowed by Metzdorf were the first given up by the lefty this season.

Virginia Tech increased its all-time series lead to 23-17 and has won the last 11 games in Blacksburg.

This was the first time the Eagles logged at least 10 hits and did not tally a victory. They are now 4-1 this season when recording double-digit hits.

It was also the first time the Eagles hit a home run and did not win the game. They are 2-1 in 2017.

UP NEXT
The Eagles and Hokies return to English Field for the final game of the series on Sunday at 1 p.m.