Baseball Report Week 2: Hokies Right the Ship vs the Rams

Series Win vs Rhode Island (3-0)

The Blacksburg Bombers lived up to their name over the weekend, defeating the Rhode Island Rams handily in the first home series of the year. A staggering 39 total runs on 20 hits paved a path for domination as the Hokies swept the series at English Field.

Virginia Tech got a strong start to the weekend series by knocking in six runs during the first inning of Friday’s game. Several walks and a hit-by-pitch set the stage with runners on base. Ben Watson approached the plate with power, screaming a double into left, scoring Sam Tackett, Garrett Michel, and Chris Cannizzaro. Henry Cooke followed right after with a homer to right, and the Hokies cruised to the finish.

Watson nearly hit for the cycle with a homer to right-center in the 4th and a triple off the top of the wall in the 5th. Instead of settling for a single with the Hokies up 15-3 in the 7th, Watson went ahead for the extra base, recording two doubles instead.

Freshman pitcher Brett Renfrow looked great on the mound again, collecting his second W of the season. Facing 21 batters in five innings, Renfrow got five Ks.

A chilly February afternoon wasn’t able to cool off the Hokies' red-hot bats, once again putting double-digit hits on the board.

Michel was the epitome of consistency, reaching base on all five trips to the plate. With a walk, two singles, a double, and a home run, it’s no wonder we chose him as the Blacksburg Bomber of the Game. Michel’s success at the plate accounted for two runs and two RBIs, giving the team an offensive jolt just at the right times.

In addition to Michel, Chris Cannizzaro, Gehrig Ebel, and David McCann also hit shots over the wall. Ebel’s monstrous swing to left field landed atop one of the Hokies' practice facilities, the clank of the ball hitting the roof nearly as loud as the roaring fans. McCann’s shot came shortly after Cannizzaro’s in the 7th, an unquestionable shot to right that even had the outfielders stunned.

Ebel nearly had a second dinger during the 3rd, but Brody Mckenzie’s highlight grab in center thought otherwise. He ranged right, leaping at the track to snag the shot just as it passed over the padding.

Wyatt Parliament started, giving up four hits and two runs. He fought through 4.2 innings racking up six strikeouts, before David Shoemaker came in to relieve. Shoemaker got the win, moving to 1-0 this year.

The Hokies looked to close out with a sweep in the first home series but started slower than usual in the first two innings. By the bottom of the 3rd, however, the bats bounced back dramatically. Carson DeMartini smacked a triple, following in Watson and Clay Grady’s footsteps for a three-game streak. Two batters later, Michel drove in DeMartini and Cannizzaro with a three-run longball to left center.

With no action in the 4th, VT came back to bat in the 5th, hitting five singles and a double from DeMartini to plate nine, going up 13-0 near the midpoint. Rhode Island managed to score two in the 7th, but couldn’t muster the strength for a meaningful comeback after a brutal weekend in Blacksburg.

Griffin Stieg put on a clinic Sunday, striking out seven in five full innings for the win. Stieg allowed only two hits across the 18 batters he battled, hurling pitches past them with ease. He improves to 1-1 this year with the win against Rhode Island.

Sharkey's Classic Win vs Radford

The Hokies stayed hot in rainy Radford with a 5-run first inning, and never looked back. Paced by 4 home runs, the offense humming even after some reserve players came in later in the game. Contrary to their power-hitting tendencies, the Hokies were also able to draw 9 walks on their way to 14 runs.

On the mound, Richmond transfer Jeremy Neff acted as the opener and pitched a solid 2 innings, allowed 2 hits and 2 runs. After that, it was the Grant Manning show. Manning, a graduate transfer from Chapman University in southern California, pitched 4 innings allowing just 2 hits and 1 earned run as well as racking up 6 strikeouts. It was the best bullpen performance of the season for the Hokies, who have continued to pitch well this season.

Contrary to pre-season fears, the pitching staff seems to be better than expected. Over the past 4 games, the Hokies staff is suffocating opponents with a 1.00 WHIP, allowing just 6 hits per game.

The Week Ahead

The Hokies host Stony Brook for a weekend series starting Friday at 1pm. All games will be televised on ACCNX. The Seawolves are 3-5, but do have a win in Baton Rouge against top 5 LSU. In 2012, the Seawolves made a cinderella trip to Omaha for the College World Series, just 2 years after their first ever trip to Omaha in 2010.