Tech hits two home runs in loss at ETSU

The team reclaims the nation's lead with 70 for the season

April 18, 2017

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
(2) Virginia Tech (41-11)	1	2	7	0	2	0	2	0	4	18	15	0
Clemson (35-23)	0	2	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	6	6	1
Charlotte, N.C. - 3,049 Box Score

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Jack Owens scored twice and Mac Caples and Rahiem Cooper each hit solo home runs, but ETSU scored five unanswered runs to turn a tied game into a 7-4 Buccaneer victory in nonconference action Tuesday evening at Thomas Stadium.

The two home runs the Hokies hit gave them 70 for the season. They came into the night trailing Wake Forest for the lead, but the Demon Deacons were held without one, enabling Tech to take the lead.

To open the first, though, Tech used back-to-back singles to put the game’s first run on the board. Owens led off the contest with a hit, then stole second before Ryan Tufts singled to drive him in.

The Buccaneers took a 2-1 lead in the third, but Caples tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the fifth with a solo home run to left center, the senior’s ninth home run of the season.

ETSU (19-15) answered with two in the home half of the frame and added three more in the seventh to pad its lead at 7-2. Christian Bailey had the key hits, an RBI double in the fifth and a two-RBI double in the seventh.

Tech (19-20) battled back in the eighth, with Tom Stoffel scoring Owens with his team-high 43rd run of the season. The Hokies then loaded the bases with one out, but the Buccaneers went to their bullpen and Daniel Shaw ended the threat with back-to-back strikeouts.

Cooper hit his 11th home run of the season with two outs in the top of the ninth to provide the final run for the Hokies.

Inside the box score

• Caples: home run, ninth of the season, 13th of his career.
• Andrew McDonald: eight strikeouts, his third game this season with at least eight.
• Cooper: home run, 11th of the season, 12th of his career.
• Owens: double, ninth of the season; two hits, 18th multi-hit game of the year and pushes his season total to 64; Was tied for the nation’s lead in hits entering the night, with Texas State’s Theodore Hoffman; two runs, 12th multi-run scoring game of the season.

More Tech notes

• The Hokies hit their 69th and 70th home runs of the year, the second most ever in an ACC season at the school, trailing only the 2010 squad that hit 81. Since 1988, only four times has a Tech team hit more than 70 in a single season.
• The team came into the game second in the nation in home runs hit, behind Wake Forest, who had 69. The Deacons were held without one in a home game against Charlotte.
• Tech was hit by its 69th pitch of the year, the third most ever in an ACC season at the school, and trails the 2010 (73) and 2012 (70) teams.
• The team came into the game tied for first in the country in hit by pitch with Campbell, but the Camels now have been hit 71 times, after being hit by three pitches this evening.

Up next

• Tech will take a couple days off from competition to prepare for its next ACC series. The Hokies will face the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in a three-game series starting on Friday sat English Field at Union Park.

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