SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Freshman pitcher Mathew Price pitched six solid innings in his first collegiate start and senior outfielder Sean Ryan collected four hits as Virginia Tech took a 12-3 victory over USC Upstate on Sunday afternoon in the final game of the Courtyard by Marriott Baseball Classic at Harley Park.

The win improved the Hokies’ record to 4-0, marking the first time Tech has opened a season with four consecutive seasons since winning its first five games of the 1993 season. USC Upstate fell to 1-2 with the loss.

Price, a right-hander from Marietta, Ga., worked six complete innings allowing just four hits and two runs. He walked four batters, including two of the first three he faced, but settled down quickly and posted seven strikeouts on the way to his first collegiate win.

Both teams picked up a first-inning run by loading the bases and scoring with a sacrifice fly. Left fielder Steve Domecus (Novato, Calif.) drove in the run for the Hokies, while first baseman Phillip Morgan picked up the run-scoring fly for the Spartans.

Tech picked up another sacrifice fly in the second inning, this time from second baseman Tony Balisteri (Lexington, Va.). The Hokies also scored an unearned run in the inning when center fielder Ryan (Ashburn, Va.) came home on the second error of the inning by USC Upstate third baseman Jeff Medley. Ryan had reached base on a single and moved to third on a two-out double by shortstop Ty Hohman (Tomball, Texas).

Ryan and Hohman also teamed up in the fourth, starting a big inning with back-to-back singles. A one-out single by catcher Anthony Sosnoskie (Front Royal, Va.) plated Ryan, and the Hokies went on to score six runs. Two-run doubles by third baseman Michael Seaborn (Atlanta, Ga.) and Ballisteri highlighted the inning.

Tech tacked on three more runs in the seventh inning with Ryan picking up his fourth single of the contest moving to second on a wild pitch and scoring on a single by designated hitter Austin Wates (Richmond, Va.). Pinch-hitter Chris Kay (Marietta, Ga.) followed with a single and then scored, along with Wates, on a double by Domecus.

Relievers Brandon Fisher (New Castle, Va.), Ben Rowen (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.) and Jesse Hahn (Groton, Conn.) pitched an inning each to close out the win for the Hokies.

Tech out-hit the Spartans 18-6, with Ryan leading the way with a 4-for-5 day. Sosnoskie, who was named the event’s most valuable player, picked up three hits in four trips to the plate. He finished the four-games with a .643 batting average (9-14), three home runs, two doubles and seven runs batted in. Sosnoskie was joined on the All-Classic Team by teammates Domecus and Wates. Domecus had two hits and three RBIs in Sunday’s game and finished the event batting .563 with seven RBIs. Wates hit .500 over the four games.

The Hokies are scheduled to open a seven-game homestand on Tuesday with a 3 p.m., game against East Tennessee State at English Field.