May 20, 2011
BLACKSBURG, VA. – Six different players recorded multiple hits for Virginia Tech, and the Hokies held on late for a 7-5 win over No. 8 Georgia Tech Friday night at English Field. The two teams will play the rubber match on Saturday.
The Hokies tallied 14 total hits against the Tech pitching staff, 10 of them against starter Jed Bradley who fell to 6-3 on the season after allowing seven runs in 3 2/3 innings of work.
Bradley appeared to be off to a solid start, working quickly through the first two innings while retiring six of the first seven batters he faced. The left-hander ran into trouble with two outs in the third, however. He was tagged for four consecutive run-scoring hits, including a double to right field by Andrew Rash that gave the Hokies a 3-2 lead. Michael Seaborn, Tim Smalling and Ronnie Shaban drove in the other runs for the home side.
Georgia Tech had taken an early two-run lead on a sacrifice fly RBI to centerfield by sophomore Sam Dove in the second inning, followed by a RBI groundout from junior Matt Skole in the third before the Hokies rallied.
Virginia Tech extended its lead to 6-2 with a two-run home run to left field by Johhny Morales in the fourth inning, before Smalling’s RBI triple lifted Bradley with two outs in the fourth inning. The home run was the first allowed by Bradley all season (84.2 innings).
Skole blasted his eighth home run of the season with a solo shot to left field in the sixth inning to make it a 7-3 game.
The Jackets rallied for two more in the top of the ninth on RBI doubles by freshmen Mott Hyde and Zane Evans to cut the lead to 7-5, and push Virginia Tech starter Marc Zecchino out of the game.
The Jackets’ had the tying run on second base after Evan’s double, and loaded the bags after freshman Kyle Wren drew a walk against VT reliever Ronnie Shaban with two outs.
Shaban would strike out junior Jacob Esch on the next at-bat to end the game.
Zecchino improved to 6-5 on the season with the win, while Shaban picked up his third save of the season.
The Jackets will conclude the 2011 regular season with the rubber game at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
