Tech drops both ends of doubleheader by a run in 11 frames

Hokies homer five times in first game, Fragale adds to his impressive start

March 4, 2017

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	R	H	E
Binghamton (5-3)	1	4	0	1	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	9	18	1
(19) Virginia Tech (8-3)	0	1	0	2	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	8	15	2
EF at Union Park - 317 Box Score

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	R	H	E
Binghamton (6-3)	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	2	0	0	1	6	14	4
(19) Virginia Tech (8-4)	1	0	1	0	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	5	9	2
EF at Union Park - 97 Box Score

BLACKSBURG – The Binghamton Bearcats took advantage of 11th-inning errors in both games of a doubleheader against the Virginia Tech Hokies to push across both game-winning runs and left English Field at Union Park on Saturday evening with two victories by counts of 9-8 and 6-5.

In the first game, the Bearcats (6-3) jumped out to an early 6-1 lead, but the Hokies stormed back with seven unanswered sparked by a five-run fifth that saw Nick Anderson and Sam Fragale hit back-to-back home runs, for each it was their second home run of the game.

Mac Caples made it three in a row – for the first time in Tech’s history as a member of the ACC – which tied the game before Jack Owens scored a pair with a double.

Binghamton clawed back to even sending the game into extras before scoring the unearned run for its first win of the afternoon.

In game two, Tech led early 2-0 – with Fragale and Tom Stoffel each recording an RBI – before Binghamton used two home runs to take a 3-2 lead in the fifth.

The Hokies (8-4) reclaimed the lead in the seventh, when they plated two unearned runs, the second on a Fragale sac fly, his fourth RBI of the day.

The Bearcats again tied the game up and forced extra innings and scoring another unearned run in game two’s 11th inning and held on for the doubleheader sweep.

Inside the box score – Game 1

• Anderson: two home runs, four for the season, eight in his career; two hits, eighth multi-hit game of the season, 25th of his career; two RBI, fourth multi-RBI game of the season, 11 for his career; two runs, fourth of the season, ninth of his career.
• Caples: home run, third of the season, seventh of his career; two runs, second multi-hit game of the season, six in his career.
• Joe Freiday, Jr.: two hits, fourth multi-hit game of the season, 12 for his career.
• Andrew McDonald: 6.2 innings pitched, second career game with at least 6.0; five strikeouts, third career game with at least five.
• Aaron McGarity: six strikeouts, eighth career game with at least five, first time with six out of the bullpen; struck out the side in both the ninth and 10th innings, has done that seven times in his career.
• Owens: two doubles, three for the season; four-hit game, tying his career high, his sixth multi-hit game of the season; two RBI, second multi-RBI game of the season; stolen base, third of the season.

Inside the box score – Game 2

• Stoffel: double, third of the season 19th of his career; two hits, sixth multi-hit game of the season, 24th of his career.
• Joey Sullivan: career-high 9.0 innings pitched, previous high was 8.0 vs. NC A&T (4/29/15); career high seven strikeouts, previous high was six at Georgia Tech (3/18/16).
• Ryan Tufts: 84th consecutive start, 67 straight at shortstop; two doubles, eight for the season, 30 for his career; three hits, seventh multi-hit game of the season, 35th of his career; fourth three-hit game this year, ninth of his career; two runs, sixth multi-run scoring game of season, 21st of his career.

Inside the box score – Both games

• Fragale: two home runs (G1), second multi-homer game of the season and career; eight home runs for the year, 16 in his career; career-high tying five hits (G1), fifth multi-hit game of the season, 21st of his career; two runs scored (G1), fourth multi-run scoring game of season, 10 for his career; triple (G2), second this season, third of his career; two RBI (G1&G2), seven multi-RBI games this season, 20 for his career.

More Tech notes

• Turned two double plays in each game, now have 16 for the season. The Hokies were seventh in the country entering the weekend in double plays turned.
• Has hit 30 home runs this season, after hitting just 34 all of 2016 and 35 in 2015. The Hokies were first in the country entering the weekend in home runs.

Up next

• The Hokies conclude their four-game series against the Binghamton Bearcats at English Field at Union Park with a Sunday tilt scheduled for a Noon first pitch

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