Jack Owens leads Hokies in come-back victory over Nevada

His career-high afternoon is highlighted by a two-run homer in ninth in 8-5 win

February 25, 2017

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Virginia Tech (6-1)	0	0	0	2	2	1	0	0	3	8	15	2
Nevada (2-4)	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	5	9	1
Peccole Park - 669 Box Score

RENO, Nev. – Jack Owens had a career-high four hits and three RBIs, two coming in the top of the ninth inning on a two-run home run that broke a 5-5 tie, and helped the Virginia Tech baseball team to an 8-5 victory over Nevada on Saturday afternoon in nonconference action at Peccole Park.

With the win, the Hokies improved to 6-1 overall, their best start since the 2013 season, while the Wolf Pack drop their record to 2-5.

Owens was one of three Hokies to hit a home run in the game, as Sam Fragale blasted his fourth of the season in a two-run fourth frame that cut Tech’s early deficit to 4-2.

A two-run fifth inning, with Owens and Tom Stoffel collecting one RBI each was followed, in the sixth, by an RBI single by Matt Dauby that gave the Hokies their first lead at 5-4.

Nevada knotted the game at 5-5 in the eighth and had runners on first and second with just one out. Aaron McGarity got the call from the bullpen and Tech would turn its third double play right after to keep the game even.

After Owens’ home run in the ninth, which scored Rahiem Cooper who reached on his second hit of the game, Ryan Tufts followed with his second home run of the spring to add a little insurance to the Hokies’ lead.

McGarity didn’t need it as he allowed just a leadoff walk and struck out the last two hitters of the game to pick up his first win of the season.

Inside the box score

• Cooper: two hits, second multi-hit game of the season, 12th of his career; two runs, eighth career multi-run scoring game.
• Dauby: two doubles, three for the season, 17 in his career; career-high tying three-hit game, 19th multi-hit game of his career and fifth career three-hit game.
• Fragale: home run, fourth of the season, 12th of his career; double, fourth of the season, 19th of his career; three hits, second multi-hit game of the season, 17 in his career; two runs, second multi-run scoring game of the season, 11 for his career.
• Owens: home run, first of his career; four hits, fifth multi-hit game of the season and fourth three-plus hit game; three RBIs, first multi-RBI game of his career.
• Tufts: home run, second of the season, fifth of his career; double, third of the season, 25 for his career.

Up next

• Tech concludes its four-game series at Nevada on Sunday with the final contest currently set to start at 3 p.m. EST.

For updates on Virginia Tech baseball, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_Baseball