Box Score BLACKSBURG, Va. – Brendon Hayden and Phil Sciretta each had two hits, and Alex Perez gained the pitching win, to lead Virginia Tech of the Atlantic Coast Conference to a 4-1 non-conference baseball victory past Longwood University on Wednesday night at English Field in Blacksburg. Junior
Brandon Delk/Newport News had two hits for the visiting Lancers (14-20) against the Hokies (15-16-1). Longwood will return to Big South Conference action this weekend with a three-game series at home against fellow North Division and in-state opponent Liberty University that begins on Friday night, April 11 at 6 p.m. at Bolding Stadium in Farmville.
Virginia Tech scored a run in the first inning to lead 1-0. Mark Zagunis (1-4) drew a one-out walk and later scored on an RBI ground ball from Sean Keselica (1-4, RBI). The Hokies added two more runs in the third inning to lead 3-0. Hayden (2-5) and Keselica each singled, and Hayden crossed the plate on an RBI single by Sciretta (2-3, RBI), while Keselica would later score on a successful sacrifice squeeze bunt from Ricky Surum (1-2, RBI).
Longwood got on the scoreboard with a run in the fifth inning to make it 3-1. Senior
Scott Burkett/Williamsburg (1-3) opened the frame with a double and scored when sophomore
C.J. Roth/Yorktown (1-4, RBI) followed with a run-scoring single. The Lancers had an opportunity to do more damage during the at bat with runners at second and third with one out, and the bases loaded with two outs, but a strikeout ended the threat.
Virginia Tech added a final run in the sixth inning to lead 4-1. Surum doubled and scored with one out on an RBI single by Saige Jenco (1-4, RBI).
Longwood stranded two runners in the eighth inning, getting singles from both senior captain
Matt Dickason/Chesapeake (1-3) and Delk (2-4), before another strikeout.
Freshman
Luke Simpson/Danville (1-2) started for Longwood and pitched the first 2.0 innings for the mound loss, allowing three hits and three earned runs with one strikeout and three walks. Classmate
Devin Gould/Fairfax Station tossed the next 3.1 innings, yielding three hits and one earned run with one strikeout and one walk. Freshman
Mitchell Kuebbing/Burlington, Kentucky went two-thirds of an inning, allowing one hit with one strikeout and no walks. Sophomore
Allen Ellis/Mechanicsville pitched the final 2.0 scoreless innings, yielding one hit with one strikeout and one walk.
Alex Perez (1-1) started for Virginia Tech and pitched the first 2.0 scoreless innings for the win on staff day, allowing one hit with one strikeout and no walks. Luis Collazo tossed 3.0 innings of middle relief, yielding two hits and one earned run with four strikeouts and three walks. Andrew McDonald (1) went the final 4.0 shutouts innings to earn the save, scattering two hits with five strikeouts and one walk.
