Hokies blank Canisius, 11-0, for second shutout of the season

Connor Coward improves to 3-0 after four scoreless frames

March 13, 2017

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Canisius (10-6)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	2
Virginia Tech (11-8)	1	0	7	0	0	3	0	0	X	11	9	1
EF at Union Park - 88 Box Score

BLACKSBURG – In a game pushed up a day due to weather approaching the area, the Virginia Tech baseball team registered an 11-0 shutout of visiting Canisius Monday afternoon at English Field at Union Park as starting pitcher Connor Coward improved to 3-0 on the season.

Coward tossed four scoreless frames with two strikeouts and retired 10 of the last 11 batters he faced after facing a bases-loaded jam in the first. Joey Sullivan (3.0 IP/3K), Graham Seitz (1.0 IP/1K) and Culver Hughes (1.0 IP) finished off the game and combined on the five-hit shutout.

The Hokies (11-8) used a seven-run frame in the third to blow the game wide open as they sent 12 batters to the plate and scored three times with the bases loaded on either a walk or hit-by-pitch. Jack Owens had a two-RBI single in the frame, while Rahiem Cooper added a two-RBI single in the sixth for added insurance.

Canisius (10-6) threatened to end the shutout in the seventh, with runners on second and third with two outs, but Sullivan ended the threat with a popup and the Golden Griffins stranded a man in both the eighth and ninth as well.

Inside the box score

• Cooper: two runs, third multi-run scoring game of season, 10th of his career; two RBI, third multi-RBI game of the season, fourth of his career.
• Sam Fragale: two hits, seventh multi-hit game of the season, 23rd of his career; two RBI, ninth multi-RBI game of the season, 22nd of his career.
• Joe Freiday, Jr.: two runs, first multi-run scoring game of season, sixth of his career.
• JD Mundy: two runs, third multi-run scoring game of the season and career.
• Owens: two hits, ninth multi-hit game of the season and career; two runs, seventh multi-run scoring game of season and career; two RBI, third multi-RBI game of the season and career.
• Ryan Tufts: two hits, eighth multi-hit game of season, 36th of his career; two RBI, fourth multi-RBI game of the season, 14th of his career.

More Tech notes

• Turned two more double plays and now have 24 for the season. The Hokies were leading the country entering the day (Duke and Illinois tied at second with 21).
• Scored seven runs in an inning for the second time this season, previous time was the fifth inning at Nevada on Feb. 26.
• Were hit by three pitches, to bring season total to 35, which is the second most in the country.

Up next

• Due to the weather, the second game of the Canisius midweek series has been cancelled and the Hokies will next be in action this weekend for their ACC home opener against No. 1 Florida State starting Friday at 5:30 p.m.

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