February 23, 2007

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Virginia Tech manufactured a run in the top of the 11^th inning and held on for a wild 5-4 victory against The Citadel during day one of the Homewood Suites Shootout at Riley Park in Charleston, S.C. The game saw the host Bulldogs leave 21 runners on base, while the Hokies struck out 12 times and hit five batters with pitches.

After taking the lead in the fifth inning, Tech saw the Bulldogs knot the score with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. After a scoreless 10^th inning in which the Citadel left the bases loaded for the fifth time in the game, Tech made the most of just its second base on balls of the game during the 11^th. Junior second baseman Matt Hacker (Richmond, Va.) drew the free pass to open the inning and went on to steal both second and third bases. With one out and a 2-2 count on catcher Matt Foley (Lansdowne, Va.), the Hokies executed a suicide-squeeze bunt to score Hacker with what proved to be the winning run.

Relief pitcher Rhett Ballard (High Point, N.C.), who came on to post a strikeout with two outs and the bases loaded in the ninth inning, retired Citadel first baseman Zack Brown on a fly out to center field to end the game with the tying run at second base. Ballard (1-1) picked up the win after allowing just two hits in 2.1 scoreless innings. He struck out five batters, but also hit two men in the 10^th, loading the bases with two outs before ending the threat with one of his strikeouts.

Tech (4-2) held a 4-3 advantage heading into the bottom of the ninth. Junior Randy Buffington (Virginia Beach, Va.) opened the inning on the mound, replacing senior Adam Redd (Dumfries, Va.), who pitched two scoreless innings to preserve the lead. Buffington sandwiched a walk with two outs before giving up a single to Bulldog shortstop Kyle Jordan. The Tech right-hander then hit back-to-back batters with pitches to even the score. It marked the only run the Citadel managed off Tech's pitching during the five times it loaded the bases during the game.

The Bulldogs' woes began in the first inning when Tech starting pitcher Greg Fryman (Gibsonia, Pa.) got into a jam early, only to pitch his way out of it. After retiring the first batter he faced, Fryman gave up a triple to Citadel center fielder Chris Swauger. The Tech senior right-hander then walked two-straight batters to load the bases before coaxing a pair of pop ups to end the inning without any damage.

A Tech throwing error allowed the Bulldogs to load the bases again in the second inning. The two-out error was followed by a pair of singles, but Fryman got Citadel right fielder Sonny Meade to fly out to center for the third out.

The Citadel drew first blood with a run in the third. A lead-off walk to Brown was followed by a sacrifice bunt. After Fryman got a foul pop up for the second out, Citadel catcher Sid Fallaw double to left center, scoring Brown.

The Hokies promptly tied the game in the top of the fourth when shortstop Warren Schaeffer (Vandergrift, Pa.) singled and scored on a triple to right field by Hacker. Tech took the lead for the first time an inning later.

Center fielder Nate Parks (Roanoke, Va.) led off the fifth with a single, stole second base, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and came home on a sacrifice fly by third baseman Bryan Thomas (Wilmington, N.C.). First baseman Sean O'Brien (Chappaqua, N.Y.) followed with a triple and scored when designated hitter Jose Cueto (Miami, Fla.) doubled to make the score 3-1.

The Bulldogs got a run back in the bottom of the fifth when third baseman Matt Arnold reached on a Tech fielding error and scored on Fallaw's second RBI-double of the game.

The two teams exchanged runs in the sixth, with Tech's Hacker banging a solo homer to left in the top of the inning, and right fielder Sonny Meade providing a sacrifice fly for The Citadel in the bottom of the stanza.

Both teams finished the game with 12 hits. Hacker, Parks, O'Brien and right fielder Sean Ryan (Ashburn, Va.) contributed two hits each. Hacker finished with a triple and home run to go with two runs driven in, two runs scored and two stolen bases.

Swauger topped Citadel with four hits. Jamie Maxwell (0-1), the fourth of five Bulldog pitchers, took the loss.

Tech is scheduled to face UNC Asheville in the Shootout on Saturday at 11 a.m.