Hokies win Wednesday night in walk-off fashion

It took another come-from-behind effort, but Tech gets the victory in the 10th

April 18, 2018

BLACKSBURG – With the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the 10th inning, Virginia Tech’s Luke Horanski laced a single back through the middle to plate the game-winning run and give the Hokies their second walk-off win of the season as they defeated Old Dominion Wednesday night at English Field at Union Park.

Old Dominion (11-24) led for most of the game, scoring single runs in the first, third and sixth innings to take a 3-1 lead. After an error allowed the Hokies to tie the game in the home half of the sixth, the Monarchs answered again with single runs in the seventh and eighth to build their advantage back to two at 5-3.

The Hokies (16-21), who trailed by three heading into the ninth Tuesday at Radford, came to the plate in tonight’s game in ninth trailing by two and were able to tie the game and send it into extra innings.

Last night, it was Stevie Mangrum’s three-run home run that tied the game. Wednesday, Tech loaded the bases as its first three batters reached base – single, hit batsman, walk. Horanski then scored on a wild pitch before Nick Menken’s sacrifice fly plated Sam Fragale and tied the game at 5-5.

Despite a leadoff single to open the 10th, Graham Seitz (4-1) worked a second straight scoreless frame to give the Hokies’ a chance in the bottom of the inning – one that the team would make good on.

Inside the Box

• Nic Enright – 2.2 scoreless frames, both were perfect; 21 scoreless innings pitched this season, 45 in his career; 11 perfect frames this season, 21 in his career; has retired 10 straight batters dating back to last appearance.
• Fragale – two hits, 12th multi-hit game of season, 50th of his career
• Joe Freiday, Jr. – stolen base, is 3-for-3 this season in stolen-base attempts;
• Horanski – three hits, 10th multi-hit game of the season/Tech career; third three-hit game of his Tech career; two RBI, eighth multi-RBI game of the season/Tech career.
• Mangrum – double, fourth of the season, 14th of his career; two hits, fifth multi-hit of the season, 10th of his career; two runs, fourth multi-run scoring game of the season, ninth of his career; stolen base, first of his career.
• Jack Owens – stolen base, a perfect 10-for-10 this season, and is 18-of-23 in his career;
• Nick Owens – two hits, ninth multi-hit game of the season/Tech career; stolen base, third of the season.

Additional Notes

• Fragale had 17 putouts at first base in the game, two shy of the all-time school record of 19, done twice, last by David Fitt (vs. James Madison, March 30, 1995).
• N. Owens had seven assists at shortstop, two shy of the all-time record at the position, done three times, last by Spencer Harris (vs. Villanova, April 7, 2002).
• Coach John Szefc is now 3-0 all-time against Old Dominion, beating them twice in his time at Maryland including the team’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in 43 year and waited until its final at-bat to win its first tournament game since 1970. Ironically, Maryland scored three runs in the ninth to walk-off against Old Dominion by the score of 4-3 in the opening game of the Columbia Regional, May 30, 2014.
• All-time, Tech is now 61-17 against Old Dominion, 31-6 at home, 8-3 at English Field at Union Park and has won four straight in the series.

Up Next

• The Hokies travel to Notre Dame to face the Irish in a three-game ACC series that starts on Friday at 6 p.m.

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