Hokies Big Spring In Baseball Also Includes A Loss To Davidson

Virginia Tech’s baseball team hadn’t lost to the Davidson College Wildcats since 1981 but that changed this month even as the 16th-ranked Hokies are enjoying one of their best seasons. The 29-year run by the Hokies came to a close last week, as Davidson’s hitters swung their team to victory, 14-10.

Now, the Hokies’ May 18 game at Davidson will have a little extra spice on it. It comes in the middle of a schedule-closing Carolina road trip featuring three-game series with Duke and North Carolina.

The Hokies take their 34-15 record against 15th-ranked Duke in Durham this Friday. After the Carolina road swing, Virginia Tech closes out the month with the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships in Greensboro.

THE DAVIDSON LOSS

In their victory last week, the Davidson batting line up faced five different Hokie pitchers in the nine inning game at the Hokies’ English Field. The Wildcats saw major success in the first and seventh innings, allowing them to end their losing streak to Tech.

In the top of the first inning, Davidson’s batters hit in five runs, leaving Hokies fans stunned.

“Credit them, they played really well,” head coach Pete Hughes said. “They came out swinging, and put the pressure right to us.

“We just didn’t damage control that. When you get runners on base, you have to keep that to a two run inning. When it extends to five [runs] that becomes a big inning.”

The Hokies were able to score two runs in the bottom of the first to close the gap to three. But the Wildcats scored two of their own in the top of the second.

Brent Zimmerman, a freshman third baseman, managed to close the lead back to three when he hit his first career homerun in the bottom of the second.

The Hokies managed to hold the Wildcats scoreless for the next four innings. With the defensive effort, Virginia Tech’s offense was able to rally back to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth inning at seven runs each.

But the Wildcats scored seven runs in the seventh inning to take a 14 to eight lead over the home team.

“Once in awhile, one of these games comes along,” senior designated hitter Steve Domecus said. “You didn’t have your best game. You just have to do better the next one.”

The Hokies scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh, but the game went scoreless for the remaining innings.

The Wildcats had one error to the Hokies’ two, and the Wildcats only stranded three runners to the Hokies’ eight. Each team recorded 14 hits.

The Hokies played five different pitchers in nine innings, the last four sharing time over the last three innings.

“That was our plan going in,” Hughes said. “To get our bullpen guys added work so they can continue to develop, so they can help us to be a deeper better team on the weekends. It’s worked out great for the last two weeks, a couple guys just didn’t have great outings tonight.”

The Hokies got back on track at English Field this past weekend with two victories against Savannah State, which should help frame of mind as they head down to Carolina.