Tech hits three home runs, but it's not enough in loss at Radford

This time Highlanders get the walk-off win, 12-11

April 17, 2018

RADFORD, Va. – Virginia Tech’s Stevie Mangrum tied the game in the top of the ninth inning on a three-run home run only to see the Radford Highlanders win in a walk-off, 12-11, in nonconference action at Williams Field at Carter Memorial Stadium Tuesday evening.

Seven weeks ago, the Hokies beat Radford at English Field at Union Park, 4-3 in 12 innings, and the Highlanders returned the favor as Garrett Matheny, standing on third, scampered home on a wild pitch in the ninth to win the game for Radford.

In an error-plagued game, which saw the teams combine for eight errors and eight unearned runs, Radford (15-21) built a four-run lead by the end of the sixth frame and still led by four at 10-6 after the seventh.

The Hokies (15-21) tallied two in the eighth on a two-run home run by Tom Stoffel, his team-leading sixth of the season to cut its lead to two, only to see Radford answer with a single run in the home half.

Tech responded in the top of the ninth, using a one-out walk by Nick Owens and a single by Michael Fernandez to bring the tying run to the plate. On the first pitch he saw, Mangrum launched a ball over the right-centerfield wall to tie the game.

Unfortunately, a leadoff walk to Matheny doomed the Hokies, as he moved to second on a bunt and third on a Kyle Butler single. After intentionally walking Colby Higgerson to load the bases and create a force at any base, or a double play to end the frame, a wild pitch allowed the game winner to score.

Inside the Box

• Fernandez – pinch-hit single in the sixth, just the second hit for a Tech pinch hitter this season; two hits, third multi-hit game of the season/Tech career.
• Sam Fragale – double, 11th of the season, 40th of his career; home run, fifth of the season, 28th of his career; season-high four hits, 11th multi-hit game of season, 49th of his career; ninth time in his career with at least three hits, fourth time with at least four; two RBI, 10th multi-RBI game of season, 41st of his career; two runs, seventh multi-run scoring game of season, 26th of his career.
• Luke Horanski – double, 11th of the season/Tech career.
• Andrew McDonald – one scoreless inning pitched, 21 this season, 75 in his career.
• Mangrum – home run, third of the season, sixth of his career; two hits, fourth multi-hit of the season, ninth of his career; two runs, third multi-run scoring game of the season, eighth of his career; three RBI, first multi-RBI game of the season, second of his career.
• Nick Menken – double, fourth of the season/Tech career; two hits, seventh multi-hit game of the season/career.
• Jack Owens – hit by pitch, team-leading 15th time this season, 26th time in his career; came in tied for ACC lead with Duke’s Jack Labosky, who were each tied for ninth in nation – leader is Florida A&M’s Dallas Oliver; double – fifth of the season, 21st of his career.
• N. Owens – two runs, seventh multi-run scoring game of the season/Tech career.
• Stoffel – home run, team-leading sixth of the season, 16th of his career; two RBI, sixth multi-RBI game of season, 32nd of his career.
• Joey Sullivan – one scoreless inning pitched, 16 this season, 79 in his career; it was perfect, eighth this season, 29th of his career; three strikeouts, ninth time this season with at least two in a game, 28th time in his career.

Up Next

• The Hokies welcome the Old Dominion Monarchs to English Field at Union Park for the first time since 2001. First pitch of the non-conference game is set for 6 p.m.

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