Hokies force extras, but drop series opener in 12 frames

Mangrum's two-out, two-RBI single tied the game before Miami notched the win

May 11, 2018

BLACKSBURG – Down to their final out, the Virginia Tech Hokies used a two-RBI single by Stevie Mangrum to force extra innings against visiting Miami, but the Hurricanes were able to scratch a single run across the plate in the 12th and escaped English Field at Union Park with a 5-4 win on Friday night in the first game of a three-game ACC series.

Tech trailed 4-2 heading in to the home half of the ninth and quickly put the tying run on second after JD Mundy singled and moved to third on Nick Menken’s double. However, Miami pitcher Frankie Bartow got the next two Hokies to strike out.

On a 1-0 pitch, Mangrum laced a ball through the left side and drove home both Hokies to tie the game at 4-4 and also took second on the throw home. The next batter, Joe Freiday, Jr. tried to leg out an infield single but was ruled out as Mangrum raced home to score the winning run.

The decision at first was reviewed and it was ruled Freiday was safe, however Mangrum had to return to third as the play was dead as soon as the call at first was made. Tech would load the bases with a Jack Owens walk, but Bartow got a grounder to second to end the jam.

Neither team was a threat to score in the 10th or 11th, but a single, a walk and an error had Miami set up in the top of the 12th, with runners on the corners and one out. Romy Gonzalez then singled back through the middle to plate the eventual game-winner for the Hurricanes.

Tech (20-28, 8-17 ACC) took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Sam Fragale blasted his team-leading eighth home run of the year, which also scored Jack Owens. For Fragale, it also gave him a team-leading 40 RBI for the season and 150 in his Tech career.

Miami (23-25, 12-13 ACC) was quiet until the third when Tech starter Ian Seymour lost some control. He faced one over the minimum in the first three innings, but loaded the bases with walks to start the fourth.

Danny Reyes, Dylan Cloonan and Huner Tackett all plated a single run for the Hurricanes as they took control of the game at 3-2.

A pitching duel ensued from then until the ninth as no team had a runner touch third base until the bottom of the eighth – Freiday had gotten there with two outs but was left stranded.

The Tech bullpen was solid as Joey Sullivan, Graham Seitz, Nic Enright, Andrew McDonald and Luke Scherzer combined to throw 8.1 innings of relief and allow just two runs. McDonald struck out a team-high six in three frames.

Inside the Box

• Enright – one scoreless inning pitched, 26 for the season, 50 in his career.
• Fragale – home run, eighth of the season, 31st of his career; two RBI, 14th multi-RBI game of the year, 45th of his career.
• Freiday – two hits, ninth multi-hit game of the season, 26th of his career.
• Mangrum – two RBI, second multi-RBI game of the year, third of his career.
• McDonald – two scoreless innings pitched, 30 this season, 84 in his career; one was perfect, seven this year, 32 in his career; struck out six, third time this year and eighth time in his career with at least five; pushed career total at Tech to 152.
• Menken – double, seventh of the season.
• Owens – two hits, 12th multi-hit game of the season; drew second-inning walk to extend his reached base streak to a career-long 13 straight games.
• Seitz – one scoreless inning pitched, 16 for the season, 20 in his career.
• Seymour – three scoreless innings pitched, 54 for the season; one was perfect, 18 this year; three strikeouts, 70 for the season.
• Sullivan – two scoreless innings pitched, 25 this season, 88 in his career; has now pitched 150.0 innings in his Tech career.

Additional Notes

• Tech turned a strikeout-caught stealing double play, the third one of those this season, second behind Seymour.
• The Hokies also turned a GDP behind Sullivan, the fourth for him this season, 15th in his career. It was the team’s 41st double play of the year.
• This was Tech’s seventh extra-inning game of the year, the most since 2014, and they are 3-4 in those contests.

Up Next

• Tech will continue the three-game ACC series against Miami on Saturday with a 3 p.m. first pitch.

Tickets

• For fans looking to attend this weekend’s ACC games against Miami, 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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