Dauby drives in season-high three runs in setback versus Jackets

Matt Dauby hit the Hokies' 71st home run of the year in 6-4 loss.

April 22, 2017

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Georgia Tech (20-19)	1	0	3	0	2	0	0	0	0	6	9	0
Virginia Tech (20-22)	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	1	0	4	9	2
EF at Union Park - 173 Box Score Photo Gallery

BLACKSBURG – For the third time this season at English Field at Union Park, a Virginia Tech baseball game has been delayed by more than an hour due to weather. In the previous two, the Hokies were victories – wins over Florida State and Virginia – but on Saturday afternoon, they were unable to overcome a four-run deficit and dropped a 6-4 ACC contest to Georgia Tech.

Matt Dauby led the Hokies offense with a two-hit effort that included a two-run home run and collected a season-high three RBI, while Ryan Tufts and Nick Anderson also had multi-hit games.

Georgia Tech (20-19, 6-15 ACC) jumped out to a 4-0 lead then lightning and rain fell in Blacksburg prompting a 90-minute delay. Wade Bailey hit a solo home run in the first and a two-run shot in the third. Kel Johnson’s RBI double in the third scored an unearned run right before the field was cleared.

Virginia Tech (20-22, 8-13 ACC) came out after the delay and responded with three runs. Dauby hit his second home run of the year that also scored Joe Freiday, Jr. With the bases loaded and one out, Sam Fragale beat out a possible double-play ball that scored Rahiem Cooper and the Hokies trailed 4-3.

In the fifth, an error allowed the Jackets to push two more unearned runs across the plate, padding their lead to three.

The Jackets then got a strong relief appearance from Jared Datoc and great fielding to stay in front and get the win. With a runner on first in the seventh, he was called in from the bullpen and got a double play, then surrendered back-to-back singles before ending the threat with a strikeout.

In the eighth, the Hokies loaded the bases with one out and Dauby smacked a ball to deep left. Jacket left fielder Chase Murray made a leaping catch near the wall to prevent more than just one run from scoring on the sac fly.

Then in the ninth, with two outs and a runner on first, Fragale was robbed for a second time in the game as his popup into shallow left field was caught by a sliding Coleman Poje to end the game.

Inside the box score

• Anderson: two hits, 10th multi-hit game of the season, 27th of his career.
• Mac Caples: hit by his 15th pitch this season, one shy of the most by a Tech player (Steve Domecus, 16, 2009) since the team joined the ACC.
• Dauby: home run, second of the season, sixth of his career; two hits, second multi-hit game of the season, 20th of his career; season-high three RBI, fifth multi-RBI game of his career.
• Packy Naughton: 4.2 innings of relief, second-longest relief appearance of the season; six strikeouts, pushing season total to a team-high 55, also has 164 in his career – the fifth-most ever for a Hokie pitcher in the ACC; seventh game this season with at least five strikeouts, 16th of his career.
• Joey Sullivan: inherited two runners, neither scored, has inherited a team-high 19 this season, with just six scoring (.684 hold percentage); retired all five batters he faced.
• Tufts: two hits, 16th multi-hit game of the season, 44th of his career.

More Tech notes

• The Hokies hit their 71st home run of the year, the second most ever in an ACC season at the school, trailing only the 2010 squad that hit 81. Since 1988, now only five times has a Tech team hit more than 70 in a single season.
• The team came into the game tied for the nation’s lead in home runs with Wake Forest. The Deacons were held without one in a game at Clemson today.
• Tech was hit by three pitches, pushing its season total to push its season total to 73, tied for the most ever in a single season at the school (as a member of the ACC) with the 2010 squad.
• The team came into the game fourth in the nation in HBP.

Up next

• The Hokies are next in action on Tuesday night when they host West Virginia at English Field at Union Park. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

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