Tech loses on walk-off at VMI

Menken sets career-high with four RBI in loss to Keydets

April 25, 2018

LEXINGTON, Va. – Despite a career-high four RBI from Nick Menken, the Virginia Tech Hokies dropped a nonconference contest at Gray-Minor Stadium Wednesday night when VMI’s Peyton Maddox hit a walk-off home run to give the hosts a 9-7 victory.

After the Hokies took a 7-6 lead in the seventh, VMI scratched a tying run across the plate in the eighth before getting the game-winning run on first with one out in the ninth. Maddox then hit a 3-1 pitch over the left field wall to give the Keydets the win.

VMI (22-18) opened the scoring in the bottom of the first on a three-run home run by Collin Fleischer, his sixth home run of the year and 42nd of his career – a VMI school record.

Tech (17-24) answered in the top of the second with its own three-run home run, as Nick Menken smashed a ball over the VMI scoreboard, which scored Sam Fragale, who singled, and Nick Owens, who reached base on a fielder’s choice. Menken would add a fourth RBI in the top of the third with an RBI single.

However, the Keydets took their lead back in the home half of the second, using three hits including a pair of doubles to plate two, then added a single run in the fifth on an RBI double by Nathan Eaton to take a 6-4 lead.

Michael Fernandez was the key to Tech’s comeback as he scored on a double steal in the sixth, then drove home the tying and go-ahead runs in the seventh on a two-out, two-RBI double.

Inside the Box

• Fernandez – double, fourth of the season; two hits, sixth multi-hit game of the year; two RBI, second multi-RBI game of the season.
• Fragale – singled in the first, extending his hitting streak to a personal-high tying 12 straight games, which is also now the team-high for the year; last 12-game hitting streak was March 22 through April 10, 2016; two runs, ninth multi-run scoring game of season, 28th of his career.
• Hall – two scoreless innings pitched, 20 for the year, 24 for the career; one was perfect, seven for the season, 11 in his career.
• Menken – home run, third of the season/Tech career; season-high four RBI, fourth multi-RBI game of the year; two hits, ninth multi-hit game of the season.
• N. Owens – three runs, eighth multi-run scoring game of the year; fourth game with at least three runs scored.
• Stoffel – double, eighth of the season, 45th of his career.
• Sullivan – one scoreless inning pitched, 20 for the season, 83 in his career.

Up Next

• This weekend, Tech will welcome the ninth-ranked Duke Blue Devils to English Field at Union Park for a three-game ACC weekend series starting Friday at 6 p.m. The series will be highlighted with the celebration of 125 seasons of Tech baseball with recognition of various players, coaches and eras of Hokies past.

Tickets

• For fans looking to attend any of the three games in the ACC series against Duke – or any of Tech’s upcoming ACC contests – please be aware tickets are required for all ACC games at English Field at Union Park. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets in advance.

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