April 27, 2005

BLACKSBURG, Va. - VMI banged out 16 hits on the way to a 6-2 victory against Virginia Tech at English Field on Wednesday night. The win was the first for the Keydets in the series since a 10-inning, 13-12 victory in Blacksburg during the 1987 season. Tech had won 11 in a row against VMI heading into Wednesday night's contest.

The Keydets (20-22) struck first, taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning with the help of four singles and a Tech error. One of those singles off the bat of left fielder Jacoby Fields drove in the first run of the game.

Tech starting pitcher Randy Buffington (Virginia Beach, Va.) got out of the inning with the bases loaded, but was pulled in the third after allowing the first three runners to reach base. VMI ended up scoring a run and leaving two more on base in that inning.

Tech made the score 2-1 in the bottom of the second, to get within a run, after shortstop Warren Schaffer (Vandergrift, Pa.), fresh off his first home run of the season Tuesday night against East Tennessee State, drove in Matt Foley (Lansdowne, Va.).

Sophomore center fielder Nate Parks (Salem, Va.) got his second home run of the season to give the Hokies their second run of the evening. Parks, with a full count at the plate, sent a rocket into deep left field in the fourth.

VMI, which stranded a season-high 15 runners on base, left the bases loaded in the fourth inning, before taking a 4-2 advantage on a run-scoring single by Shane Geisslinger in the fifth. The Keydets closed out the scoring with a pair of insurance runs in the seventh. Fields and shortstop Matt Smith singled in the runs before the visitors left the bases loaded again.

The Hokies (15-20) got just three runners in scoring position over the final five innings, including Parks, who led off the ninth inning with a triple.

Parks was joined by third baseman Bryan Thomas (Wilmington, N.C.) and designated hitter Billy Marn (Yorktown, Va.) with two hits each for the Hokies. Smith was 4-for-6 for the Keydets.

VMI got a solid start from left-handed pitcher Josh Owens, who worked five innings for his third win against two losses. Owens allowed five hits and two runs before turning things over to J.J. Hollenbeck, who contributed three scoreless innings. Jeff DeMara pitched the ninth for the Keydets.

Buffington (0-3) took the loss for Tech, which also used three pitchers.

Tech is scheduled to return to Atlantic Coast Conference play with a three-game series at Duke beginning on Friday at 7 p.m.