Tech forces extra innings but falls to No. 12 Virginia

Kit Scheetz' quality start gave Hokies a chance for the upset

April 14, 2017

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	R	H	E
(12) Virginia (29-8)	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	3	10	1
Virginia Tech (18-19)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	2	7	2
EF at Union Park - 1,823 Box Score Photo Gallery

BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech starting pitcher Kit Scheetz held No. 12 Virginia to two runs over seven-plus innings of work and the Hokies forced extra innings after tying the game in the eighth. However, the Cavaliers were able to pull out a 3-2 victory in 10 innings Friday night at English Field at Union Park.

In the top half of the frame, Adam Haseley hit a solo home run to break the tie and, again, the Hokies got the tying and winning runs on base in their half, but just like Thursday, Virginia closer Tommy Doyle closed the door to pick up his ACC-leading 11th save of the year and clinch the ACC series for the Cavaliers.

Virginia (29-8, 10-7 ACC) got on the board in the second on a Cameron Simmons two-out double that scored Robbie Coman, who also doubled. Ernie Clement started the third with a single, but from that point, Scheetz allowed just three hits until the eighth.

At one point, Scheetz retired 10 straight Cavaliers and battled out of a seventh-inning jam to keep it a one-run game. He struck out four batters in the contest. Two errors, though, gave Virginia its second run of the game in the eighth.

Tech (18-19, 6-11 ACC) finally broke through on Virginia after collecting just three hits through the first seven innings. With one out, Rahiem Cooper singled up the middle, Jack Owens doubled to left – scoring Cooper – and, with two outs, Tom Stoffel also singled up the middle to plate Owens with the tying run.

Sam Fragale, the ACC's leader in home runs, would not be allowed to win the game for Tech, as he was walked in the eighth after the Stoffel single. And then in the bottom of the 10th, with two outs and Ryan Tufts standing on second after a single and wild pitch, he was intentionally walked.

Inside the box score

• Scheetz: quality start, the 16th of his career; 7.0 innings, a season high and longest since April 23 (9.0 vs. Duke); just the seventh time he’s tossed at least 7.0 innings in his career; during the game, faced the 1,000th batter in his Tech career; four strikeouts, pushing career total to 158, the fifth most ever by a Tech pitcher during the ACC era; start was the 34th of his Tech career, tied for the second-most (Justin Wright, 2008-10) in the same time period.
• Owens: double, the eighth of the season and career; two hits, 17th multi-hit game of the season and his career.

More Tech notes

• Was hit by one pitch in the game to increase its season total to 68. The Hokies were tied for the team-lead entering the game in HBPs with Campbell.

Up next

• The Hokies conclude their three-game ACC series against No. 12 Virginia at English Field at Union Park on Saturday with a first pitch now scheduled for 10 a.m., due to the weather anticipated in the area in the afternoon.

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