Middle frames the difference as Hokies defeat Yellow Jackets, 10-8

Hokies outscore opponents 9-1 in fourth thru sixth, then hold on for victory

March 17, 2018

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
(7) Duke (29-11)	2	0	1	0	0	1	5	1	3	13	16	3
(23) Virginia Tech (25-12)	0	0	5	0	2	2	1	0	0	10	9	0
EF at AUBP - 1,200 Box Score

ATLANTA – JD Mundy and Darion Jacoby each had two hits, knocked in two runs and scored twice as the Virginia Tech Hokies evened their ACC series with Georgia Tech on Saturday afternoon with a 10-8 victory at Russ Chandler Stadium.

Every Hokie in the starting lineup had at least one hit with five notching a multi-hit game while Jack Owens and Zack Kokoska each also collected two RBI to help the Hokies take, what seemed like, a comfortable eight-run lead after six.

Tied at 1-1 after three, Tech (9-9, 3-2 ACC) scored four runs in the fourth highlighted by Owens’ two-RBI triple and two in the fifth with Mundy launching his fourth home run of the year. In the sixth, pinch hitter Kokoska capped off a three-run frame as he recorded his first collegiate hit, a two-RBI double, that gave the Hokies a 10-2 lead.

Georgia Tech (10-8, 1-4 ACC) responded with a Joey Bart two-run home run in the seventh to pull to within six, and put four on the board in the ninth and had the tying run at the plate with just one out.

However, Nic Enright came in from the bullpen to strike out the next two Yellow Jackets and earn his second save of the season for Andrew McDonald, who improved to 1-1 on the season. Ian Seymour went 4.1 innings with six strikeouts in the start, while McDonald tossed 4.0 relief innings with four strikeouts.

Inside the Box

• Joe Freiday, Jr. – double, second of the season, 14th of his career.
• Sam Fragale – two runs, third multi-run scoring game of the season, 22nd of his career.
• Luke Horanski – double, sixth of the season/career; two hits, fifth multi-hit game of the season/career.
• Jacoby – two hits, second multi-hit game of the season/career; two runs, second multi-run scoring game of the season/career, two RBI, first multi-RBI game of the season/career.
• Kokoska – double, first collegiate hit; two RBI, first multi-RBI game of career.
• McDonald – two scoreless innings pitched, 17 for the season, 71 in his career; one perfect frame, fourth of the season, 29th of his career; had thrown a career-long 15.1 consecutive scoreless innings before allowing first earned run of the year in seventh; is a perfect 10-for-10 on retiring the first batter he’s faced out of the bullpen this season.
• Mundy – home run, fourth of the season, ninth of his career; two hits, third multi-hit game of the season, eighth of his career; two RBI, fourth multi-RBI game of the season, eighth of his career; two runs, second multi-run scoring game of the year, eighth of his career.
• J. Owens – triple, first of the season, third of his career; two RBI, second multi-RBI game of the season, eighth of his career.
• Nick Owens – two hits, sixth multi-hit game of the season/career; two runs, fourth multi-run scoring game of the season/career.
• Seymour –six strikeouts, has struck out at least six in four of five starts; struck out the side in the second, fifth time this season; three scoreless innings pitched, 22 for the season.
• Tom Stoffel – double, sixth of the season, 43rd of his career; two hits, 10th multi-hit game of the year, 48th of his career.

Additional Notes

• The Hokies were hit by four pitches, pushing season total to 37. They entered the weekend 17th in the nation and first in the ACC.
• The Hokies all-time series against Georgia Tech now stands at 32-17 in favor of the Yellow Jackets and includes GT holding a 20-9 mark in Atlanta.
• On this date, Tech is now 14-13 which includes a 9-8 mark on the road and a 3-4 record against ACC opponents.

Up Next

• The Hokies and Yellow Jackets conclude their ACC series with the rubber match on Sunday with first pitch from Russ Chandler Stadium set for 1 p.m.

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