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Tech drops doubleheader at Pittsburgh
Panthers win second game with go-ahead hit in the eighth
March 25, 2017
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Virginia Tech (14-11) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 1 |
 Pitt (10-10) | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | X | 8 | 11 | 0 |
| ||||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Tech (14-12) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| Pitt (11-10) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | X | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| ||||||||||||
PITTSBURGH – The Virginia Tech baseball team’s struggles in the Steel City continued on Saturday as the Hokies dropped both ends of a doubleheader to the home team Pittsburgh Panthers in ACC action at Charles L Cost Field.
Although the all-time series against Pittsburgh is almost even, the Hokies are now just 3-9 when playing the Panthers in the Steel City after Tech lost a pair of games today here, 8-2 and 3-2.
Pitt (11-10, 4-5 ACC) scored first in both games, and had a five-run lead in the fifth before Tech got on the board in game one. A three-spot in the sixth all but put the first game away
Tech (14-12, 3-6 ACC) was able to battle back from a 2-0 deficit early in game two to knot the game in the sixth. Connor Coward allowed a two-run home run in the second, but kept the Panthers off the board the rest of the time he was on the mound.
The Hokies got one back on a Mac Caples solo home run in the fifth and Tom Stoffel, who tripled to lead off the sixth, scored on a Sam Fragale sac fly to make it a 2-2 game.
Pittsburgh, though, was able to get the game-winner in the eighth – Frank Maldonaldo leadoff double followed by a Nick Banman RBI single – and Chris Gomez closed the game out in the ninth for the Panther victory.
Inside the box scores
- Caples: home run, fifth of the season, ninth of his career; two hits, third multi-hit game of the season, 13th of his career.
- Fragale: game two start was the 100th of his Tech career; team-leading fifth sacrifice fly of the season, team-leading 34th RBI.
- Mangrum: pinch-hit double in the ninth of first game, team-leading third pinch hit of the season, the fourth of his career; also doubled in game two, his sixth double of the season, seventh of his career; two hits in game two, second multi-hit game of the season, third of his career.
- Owens: reached base in his 16th and 17th straight games, a team-high.
- Stoffel: triple, second of the season and his career.
- Tufts: home run, fifth of the season, eighth of his career; two hits, 11th multi-hit game of the season, 39th of his career.
More Tech notes
- Was hit by one pitch on the day to push season total to 46. The Hokies were second in the nation coming into the weekend in HBPs, trailing only Louisiana Tech (51)
- Hit two home runs – one in each game. The Hokies were second in the nation entering the weekend in home runs hit behind Wake Forest (40). The 44 total home runs hit this season are the most hit by a Tech team since the 2013 squad hit 55.
- Turned one double play, the team’s 32nd of the season. The Hokies came into the weekend as the nation’s leader in double plays turned.
Up next
- The Hokies will host Campbell at English Field at Union Park on Tuesday, March 28 with first pitch scheduled for 5:30 p.m. It is also Military Appreciation Day, which will include ROTC Scholarship presentations, the National Anthem being performed by the Highty Tighties and a firing of Skipper before first pitch.
For updates on Virginia Tech baseball, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_Baseball
