April 4, 2007

BLACKSBURG, Va. - Virginia Tech scored runs in each of the first six innings to pick up a 13-6 non-conference victory against VMI on Wednesday night at English Field.

Center fielder Nate Parks (Roanoke, Va.) got Tech off to a good start by leading off the bottom of the first inning with a single to right and moving to second when the ball was mishandled. First baseman Sean O'Brien (Chappaqua, N.Y.) moved Parks to third with a groundout to first and Bryan Thomas (Wilmington, N.C.) brought him home with an infield popup that dropped for a single when the brisk winds blew it away from Keydets' pitcher Chris Duty and first baseman Robert Crumpler. Thomas then stole second and moved to third on a single by designated hitter Adam Redd (Dumfries, Va.). Right fielder Jose Cueto (Miami, Fla.) and shortstop Warren Schaeffer (Vandergrift, Pa.) were then hit by pitches allowing Thomas to score. Redd came home with the third run as catcher Anthony Sosnoskie (Front Royal, Va.) reached on a fielder's choice.

The Hokies (16-14) added a run in the second inning on back-to-back, two-out doubles by O'Brien and third baseman Thomas. An inning later, Tech plated four runs to increase its lead to 8-0 and chase Duty (3-2) off the mound. RBI-singles by Sosnoskie, second baseman Matt Hacker (Richmond, Va.) and O'Brien accounted for the first three runs, while a VMI fielding error brought home the fourth.

Tech picked up a run in the fourth inning when Cueto reached base on a fielder's choice, stole second, moved to third when the ball got by catcher Michael Roberts and scored on an errant throw by Roberts as he tried to nail Cueto at third.

While Tech batters were driving in nine runs over the first four innings, starting pitcher Evan Frederickson (Oak Hill, Va.) was holding the Keydets hitless, allowing just two walks. That changed, however, in the top of the fifth.

With two outs in the fifth and a runner on second by virtue of a walk and a wild pitch, VMI designated hitter Brian Sandridge looped a single to center for the Keydets' first hit and first run. A hit batsman, three walks and a wild pitch later, two more runs were home for VMI and reliever Scott Stoehr (Timberville, Va.) had replaced Frederickson to get the Hokies out of the inning.

Tech responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning on a single by Thomas and a sacrifice fly by Redd. O'Brien then singled home two more runs in the sixth to give the Hokies a 13-3 advantage.

VMI, now 22-9 on the season, got its final three runs in the eighth when Ryan Litz smacked a Rhett Ballard delivery over the left field fence with two men aboard. The Keydets finished the game with just four hits.

O'Brien and Thomas led Tech's 12-hit attack with three hits and three RBIs each. The Hokies also got two hits and two runs batted in from freshman Sosnoskie.

Stoehr (1-1) picked up the pitching victory with 2.1 scoreless innings and five strikeouts. Altogether, Tech's three pitchers combined for 16 strikeouts during the evening.

Tech returns to Atlantic Coast Conference play on Friday night at 7 when it begins a three-game series with the Clemson Tigers at English Field.