Home #5 Virginia Tech rallies late, walks off Villanova, 3-2, to complete weekend sweep
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#5 Virginia Tech rallies late, walks off Villanova, 3-2, to complete weekend sweep

virginia tech logoA Gavin Cross solo shot tied it in the eighth, and a Carson DeMartini double walked it off for fifth-ranked Virginia Tech in a 3-2 win over Villanova Sunday at English Field.

The fifth-ranked Hokies (33-10) had gotten on the board first, in the first, on RBI double by Tanner Schobel that plated Nick Biddison

That run stood up until the top of the seventh, when Villanova (17-24-1) got a two-run double off the bat of Pat O’Neill to go up 2-1.

Cross homered right, his 11th long ball of the season, off the Devin Rivera (1-3) to knot the game at 2-2.

Eduardo Malinowski led off the bottom of the ninth with a single, and got to second on a two-out walk to Lucas Donlon, who battled back from an 0-2 count to earn the base on balls.

DeMartini took the 1-1 pitch from Rivera over the wall in left-center on a hop for the ground-rule double that completed the two-game weekend series sweep.

The Hokies got a stellar starting outing from Drue Hackenberg, who gave up two runs, both unearned, on five hits in seven innings of work, striking out two without walking a batter.

The win in relief went to Kiernan Higgins (2-0), who retired the only batter that he faced in the top of the ninth.

DeMartini was 3-for-4 at the plate for Tech.

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