LEXINGTON, Va. – Virginia Tech’s Sam Fragale hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning to give the Hokies a 3-1 advantage, but the Tech bullpen could not hold off the VMI Keydets as they came back to register the 5-3 victory in nonconference action at Gray-Minor Stadium on Tuesday night.

Fragale knocked in Mac Caples, who had two hits on the night, with the long ball. However, VMI tied the game a frame later, took the lead in the sixth and added an insurance run in the eighth to take the game.

TJ Lighton (1-0) earned the win with a scoreless inning of relief, while Taylor Edens earned his fifth save of the year with a perfect ninth. Ryan Lauria dropped to 1-1, suffering the loss out of the bullpen.

How the runs were scored

• VMI (15-13) took a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI single by Collin Fleischer that scored David Geary, who reached base with a double.
• Tech (10-16) tied the game in the top of the third when Matt Dauby scored a run. He doubled to lead off the frame, moved to third on an Andrew Mogg single and scored on a Rahiem Cooper grounder to short.
• The Hokies claimed their only lead of the evening in the fourth on a two-run home run by Fragale, which plated Caples, who singled to lead off the inning.
• The Keydets tied the game in the fifth on a two-out, two-RBI double by Fleischer and then plated an unearned run in the sixth on an RBI double from Matt Dunleavy to take a 4-3 advantage. They added an insurance run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Matt Pita.

Inside the Box

• Phil Sciretta: played in his 100th game for the Hokies
• Nick Anderson: 2 hits, fifth multi-hit game of the season and career.
• Caples: 2 hits, second multi-hit game of the season, eighth of his career; stolen base, first of his career.
• Fragale: home run, second of the season, third of his career; 2 RBIs, fourth multi-RBI game of the season, sixth of his career.
• Dauby: double, team-high tying seventh of the season, 14th of his career, run scored, his 21st run of the year, second most on the team.
• Mogg: double, third of the season, 14th of his career; 2 hits, fourth multi-hit game of the season, 16th of his career.
• Joey Sullivan: first start of the year, fifth of his career; 4.0 IP, second longest outing of season (4.2 IP in relief at Georgia Tech, March 18).
• Packy Naughton: 0.2 IP in ninth, first relief appearances this season (last time was April 10, 2015 at Miami).

Up next

Tech will remain on the road, heading to Louisville, Kentucky for a three-game ACC series with the Cardinals that begins on Saturday at 1 p.m.

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