Late RBI single lifts Virginia Tech baseball past VMI, 6-5

An eighth-inning single by Phil Sciretta broke a 5-5 tie and helped the Virginia Tech Hokies edge the VMI Keydets, 6-5, in non-conference baseball action Tuesday night at English Field in Blacksburg, Va.

The Keydets (6-15) had rallied from a 5-2 deficit to tie the game in the seventh inning, but Sean Keselica led off the Hokie (16-14) eighth with a ground ball toward the middle. Jordan Tarsovich ranged far to his right and threw from the outfield, but his throw bounced for an error. Keselica was then bunted to second and Sciretta followed with a pinch-hit ground ball single up the middle, scoring the eventual winning run.

Kyle Staats (0-1) was the victim of the eighth-inning unearned run, as he took the loss while Chris Monaco (2-0) won despite giving up a game-tying home run to Tarsovich in the seventh. Sean Kennedy pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save.

The Hokies jumped ahead in the second inning, when Joe Freiday, Jr. doubled home a run to make it 1-0. Tech pushed the margin to 4-0 in the fourth, thanks to a RBI double by Brendon Hayden, a fielder’s choice out by Freiday, Jr. and a RBI single by Logan Bible.

The Keydets rallied in the sixth, when Peyton Maddox singled with one out for his first collegiate hit. David Geary followed with a single and Tarsovich walked to load the bases, setting up a two-run double by Brandon Angus that cut the Tech lead to 4-2.

The Hokies got a run back in the sixth, but VMI tied it in the seventh. Collin Fleischer led off with a walk and Jacob Jaye followed with one of his own. An infield hit for Maddox loaded the bases, and Geary got a run home by hitting into a double play to make it 5-3. Tarsovich, the next hitter, launched a 3-2 changeup over the left-center field wall for his fourth home run of the year, tying the game at 5.

The Hokies broke that tie in the eighth to account for the final margin.

Neither starter figured in the decision, as Jonathan Kelley was knocked out in the fifth having allowed four runs, while Kit Scheetz left the game up 5-2 after giving up two runs on seven hits over six innings. For Kelley, the outing equaled the longest outing of the senior’s collegiate career.

Offensively, the Keydets saw Matt Winn (three hits) and Maddox (two hits) lead the way, while Brendon Hayden was 2 for 4 to lead the home team.

VMI baseball will return to action Wednesday, as the Keydets travel to Charlottesville to take on the #16 Virginia Cavaliers. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.