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 VMI (6-15) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 1 |
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BLACKSBURG – With the game tied at 5-5 in the bottom of the eighth frame, Virginia Tech pinch hitter Phil Sciretta singled back through the middle allowing Sean Keselica, who was on second, to race home for the go-ahead run. Sean Kennedy then closed out the game to give the Hokies a 6-5 nonconference win over visiting VMI Tuesday evening at English Field.
For Sciretta, it was his fourth pinch-hit RBI single of the season, while he’s also drawn two walks in his nine pinch-hit opportunities. Kennedy picked up his second save of the season with a perfect ninth.
Early in the game, though, it didn’t seem like those kind of heroics would be necessary as Tech took a 4-0 lead after the fourth frame. Joe Freiday, Jr. laced a two-out double to left center field that scored Brendon Hayden with the first run in the second before Tech sent nine men to the plate in the fourth.
Hayden followed an Erik Payne double with one of his own to make it 2-0 and Hayden crossed the plate for the second time in the game off the bat of Freiday, Jr. With two outs, Logan Bible single to bring in Freiday, Jr. and Tech led 4-0.
On the mound for Tech was Kit Scheetz, who faced just one batter over the minimum through five innings. He had surrendered four hits during that time but used three double plays to erase three of those base runners.
VMI (6-15) got to him in the sixth as five straight batters reached base after Scheetz got the first out of the inning. Back-to-back singles and a walk loaded the bases before Brandon Angus hit a two-RBI double. A hit-by-pitch loaded the bags again, but Scheetz got a strikeout and grounder back to himself to end the threat.
Tech (16-14) got one back in the home half of the inning as Bible earned a one-out walk, moved to second on a wild pitch, took third on a grounder and scored on a wild pitch.
Back-to-back walks to open the seventh against Connor Coward was followed by a single before Chris Monaco was called in from the pen. He got a double-play ball that scored one, but Jordan Tarsovich followed with a two-run home run that tied the game at 5.
Monaco tossed a scoreless eighth before the Hokies took the lead in the bottom of the inning. Keselica reached on an error and moved to second on a Ryan Tufts sacrifice bunt. Then Sciretta was called upon to do what he’s done better than anyone else on the team this season. Tech has 10 pinch-hits this season, Sciretta has four of them.
The Hokies will have a couple days off before returning to English Field this weekend for a three-game ACC set against Georgia Tech. The series begins Friday at 5:30 p.m.
For updates on Virginia Tech baseball, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_Baseball
