Tech splits doubleheader at Duke on Saturday

Nick Anderson picks up third win on the mound after quality start in game 2

March 11, 2017

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	R	H	E
Virginia Tech (9-8)	0	0	0	0	3	0	1	1	0	0	5	9	0
Duke (10-7)	4	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	6	11	2
DBAP - 373 Box Score

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Virginia Tech (10-8)	2	0	1	0	0	0	4	0	0	7	10	1
Duke (10-8)	1	1	0	0	0	1	0	2	0	5	7	1
Durham, N.C. - 279 Box Score

DURHAM, N.C. – The Virginia Tech baseball team turned in two solid outings by its starting pitchers, but could only manage a split in its doubleheader against Duke on Saturday in ACC action at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, losing the first game in 10 innings, 6-5, but taking game two, 7-5.

Andrew McDonald started the first game and after a shaky first inning, settled down and struck out 11 Blue Devils as the Hokies mounted a comeback. He did not factor in the decision and Duke walked off in the 10th on an RBI single by Michael Smiciklas.

Game two saw Nick Anderson battle through six frames allowing just three runs, striking out seven and improving to 3-1 in his start. Tech used a four-run seventh inning sparked by a two-run home run by Tom Stoffel to break open a tied game. Tech’s bullpen of Connor Coward and Aaron McGarity took over and closed it out to get the win.

Stoffel was the catalyst for the Hokies’ offense the entire day, going 4-for-6 with three RBI in the first game and going 3-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored in the second, including Tech’s only home run of the weekend.

With the split, both teams ended the day with a 10-8 record, while Tech opens the ACC slate 1-2 and Duke is 2-1.

Inside the box score – Game 1

• McDonald: career-high 11 strikeouts, previous high was nine at USC Upstate (Feb. 19, 2017); struck out two in every inning, including striking out the side in second, third time in his career; became just sixth Hokie with 10-plus strikeouts in an ACC game, tied for the second most ever in an ACC game, and was one shy of the Tech record set by Marc Zecchino with 12 at Wake Forest (April 10, 2011). Last Hokie with 10+ strikeouts in a game was Brad Markey vs. Florida State (May 23, 2013), ironically at DBAP.
• Jack Owens: double, fourth of the season and career.
• Stoffel: double, fourth of the season, 20th of his career; career-high tying four hits (last, vs. Miami, March 11, 2016), seventh multi-hit game of the year, 25th of his career; ninth career three-plus hit game; season-high three RBI, fourth multi-RBI game of the season, 17th of his career, fifth career game with at least three RBI.
• Ryan Tufts: two runs, eight multi-run scoring game of season, 23rd of his career.
• Marcus White: double, first extra-base hit of his career.

Inside the box score – Game 2

• Anderson: leads the team with three wins on the mound; career-high seven strikeouts, previous high was six (twice, last vs. Binghamton, March 5, 2017).
• JD Mundy: two RBI, second multi-RBI game of the season.
• Owens: two hits, eighth multi-hit game of the season; two runs, sixth multi-run game of the year.
• Stoffel: home run, third of the season, fifth of his career; three hits, eighth multi-hit game of the year, 26th of his career, 10th career three-plus hit game; two RBI, fifth multi-RBI game of the season, 18th of his career, two runs, fourth multi-run scoring game of the season, 11th of his career.

More Tech notes – both games

• Turned one double play, pushing its season total to 22. Duke and Tech entered the weekend tied for first in the country in double plays turned.
• Hit one home run, pushing its season total to 33. Hokies came into the weekend leading the country in home runs.

Up next

• Tech is scheduled to play two midweek games – Tuesday and Wednesday – at English Field at Union Park against Canisius with both games scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. first pitch.

For updates on Virginia Tech baseball, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_Baseball