April 15, 2005

Box Score

Tech 9, Liberty 4

 

BLACKSBURG, Va. - Matt Hacker's single in the bottom of the second inning started a three-run Virginia Tech rally as the Hokies took a 3-2 lead and never looked back, topping Liberty 9-4 at English Field on Thursday night.

Tech starting pitcher Greg Fryman (Gibsonia, Pa.) moved to 2-1 on the year win the victory, while Randy Buffington (Virginia Beach, Va.) captured his second-career save. Fryman pitched 6 2/3 innings, recording seven strikeouts and allowing only one earned run, while Buffington pitched 2 1/3 innings of relief work, totaling three strikeouts, two hits and one earned run.

For Liberty, Todd Mittauer took the loss to fall to 1-1 on the season after giving up four earned runs and four hits in five innings pitched. The Flames used three pitchers in relief, but gave up six runs in 2 1/3 innings.

The Flames (21-10) opening the outing with a two runs in the top of the first. An error put Michael Just on base to open the inning. Aaron Grijalva singled and Just scored after Jeff Brown got a base hit. Adam Kearney then hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Grijalva and give Liberty a two-run lead.

Tech (12-14) answered, recording three runs in the bottom of the third after back-to-back singles by Billy Marn (Yorktown, Va.) and Hacker (Glen Allen, Va.) in their first at-bats of the night. Mittauer loaded the bases after walking Chris Stanton (Centreville, Va.) and brought Tech's first run home after Matt Foley reached on a base on balls as well.

Tech shortstop Warren Schaffer (Vandergrift, Pa.) reached on a fielder's choice, bringing home Hacker, while Stanton found home during an attempted double steal to give the Hokies a 3-2 lead.

Liberty got hits from Phillip Laurent and P.K. Keller in the top of the third inning, but fell victim to one the Hokies' two double-plays.

Tech pushed its lead to three runs after a two-hit, two-run six inning, that made the score 5-2. Marn started the inning with a walk, then Bryan Thomas (Wilmington, N.C.) singled and Hacker layed down a sacrifice bunt to third base to push the runners to second and third. Stanton got his only RBI of the night after his single drove Marn in from third. Thomas then scored on Liberty's first error of the game.

The Hokies held Liberty to three hits in the next three innings before giving up a run on two hits in the top of the seventh. Grijalva hit a double in his fourth at bat and Laurent singled to score the Flames third run of the night. Buffington then entered the game to relieve Fryman and closed out the inning on a line ball to Schaeffer at shortstop.

The Hokies answered again, scoring three runs in the seventh, pushing the Flames to deplete their bull-pen of two more pitchers. After a strikeout and a pop-up to third base, Tech center fielder Nate Parks (Salem, Va.) watched four balls to reach first. Parks stole second and ended up scoring on a Liberty throwing error on the play. Jose Cueto (Miami, Fla.) recorded his first single of the night. Cueto stole second, and Marn stepped to the plate and tripled, him home. Thomas rounded out the scoring in the inning with his second hit of the night, bringing in Marn to give Tech an 8-3 lead.

Liberty scored again in the top of the eighth after Travis Johnson pinch hit and reach base on a walk. He was driven home by a RBI single from Patrick Gaillard to make the score 8-4.

Tech scored one more run in their final offensive action of the night when Schaeffer recorded a double to left field to score Foley in the eighth.

The Flames finished with 10 runners left on base, compared to Tech with only five. Liberty out-hit the Hokies 11 to 10, but Tech committed only one error.

Virginia Tech returns to action on Friday night at 7, when it plays host to Virginia Commonwealth for the first of a three-game home-stand. Tech will also play VCU Saturday at 7 p.m. and then Sunday at 2 p.m. All games will be played at English Field.