Hokies drop second extra-inning affair of weekend to Miami

Hurricanes use three Tech errors to plate eight unearned runs in 12-8 contest

May 13, 2018

BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech and Miami battled back-and-forth on Sunday afternoon in ACC action at English Field at Union Park as the lead changed sides five times. However, it was the Hurricanes who made the most of three Hokie errors to pull out a Game 3 win, 12-8 in 10 innings.

Offensively, JD Mundy led Tech at the plate, reaching base five times while going 3-for-4 with two doubles. Nick Menken and Sam Fragale each had two hits and scored twice, while Joe Freiday, Jr. also had a pair of hits.

After the Hokies spotted Miami three unearned runs in the first, Tech scored six unanswered runs over the second through fourth innings. Stevie Mangrum hit a solo home run to start the run and Mundy tallied an RBI double in the fourth and later scored on a passed ball.

Miami (25-25, 14-13 ACC) made it 6-4 with an unearned run in the fifth, then scored two in the seventh that tied the game as Michael Amditis singled home two.

Nick Menken started the home half of the seventh with a solo home run to break the tie, but the Hurricanes responded with a Danny Reyes two-RBI single that gave the visitor’s an 8-7 lead.

Tech (20-30, 8-19 ACC) answered back with Tom Stoffel singling home Freiday with a tying run and both teams made threats in the ninth, but neither plated a run forcing extra frames.

Miami put runners on the corners with no outs to start the 10th, before Andrew McDonald got the first out with a strikeout. Tech elected to walk Dylan Cloonan to load the bases – looking for a double-play ball or a force play at the plate.

A grounder to third was thrown home, but the runner was ruled safe as the throw appeared to pull Freiday off the plate. The play went to review and it was upheld. The Hurricanes added three more unearned runs then held Tech scoreless in the bottom to secure the win.

Inside the Box

• Nic Enright – two scoreless innings pitched, 28 for the season, 52 in his career; three strikeouts, 13th time this season, 22nd time in his career with at least two strikeouts in an appearance.
• Michael Fernandez – double, fifth of the year.
• Fragale – two hits, 18th multi-hit game of the year, 56th of his career; two runs, 12th multi-run scoring game of the season, 31st of his career.
• Freiday – two hits, 10th multi-hit game of the year, 27th of his career.
• Mangrum – home run, seventh of the season, 10th of his career; two hits, eighth multi-hit game of the year, 13th of his career.
• Menken – home run, fourth of the season; double, eighth of the year; two hits, 12th multi-hit game of the season; two runs, second multi-run scoring game of the year.
• Mundy – pinch-hit single, team-leading second of the season and fourth of his career; two doubles, six for this season, 11 in his career; three hits, seventh multi-hit game of the year, 12th of his career; second three-hit game of season, fourth of his career.
• Joey Sullivan – made his first start of the year, 12th of his career; two scoreless innings pitched, 27 for the season, 90 in his career; three strikeouts, 12th time this season, 34th time in his career with at least two strikeouts in an appearance.

Additional Notes

• Today’s game marked the eighth extra-inning game of the season for the Hokies and they are now 3-5 in those contests. The eight are the most in any single season in school history, passing the seven played by both the 2013 squad.

Up Next

• The Hokies will play their final game of the 2018 season at English Field at Union Park when they welcome William & Mary to Blacksburg for a nonconference contest on Tuesday with first pitch slated for 6 p.m.

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