Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2
Blacksburg, Va. - The Long Island University baseball team ran into a pair of strong pitching performances from Virginia Tech, dropping a pair of nine-inning games to the Hokies. The Blackbirds fell 6-0 in the first game before suffering an 11-0 defeat in the nightcap. The losses dropped Long Island to 1-6 on the season while Virginia Tech improved to 7-2.
The first game was scoreless until the bottom of the fifth when Virginia Tech scraped a run off Long Island starter
Matt McCormick. After a one-out double by Michael Seaborn, Ronnie Shaban knocked him in with a single. In the sixth, McCormick gave up a one-out single to Tim Smalling before being lifted for fellow freshman
Emerson Morillo. Things got interesting from there as Morillo had a pair of wild pitches, two walks and a failed pickoff attempt to plate a run. Freshman
Evan Zerff came on but saw two more runs score on a sacrifice fly and an error, putting the Hokies up, 4-0.
Virginia Tech tacked on a pair in the eighth on a double and a single. Hokies starter Jesse Hahn went seven innings, allowing just two hits and a walk while striking nine. He improved to 3-0 with the win.
McCormick (0-1) threw 5 1/3 innings and was charged with two runs on six hits and a walk. He struck out one.
In game two, Long Island starter
Adam Sauter allowed a solo homer to Anthony Sosnoskie in the second and another one to Mike Kaminski in the third. The Hokies scored five runs in the sixth to extend their lead to 7-0. With runners on first and third and no outs, Sosnoskie singled in a run and Seaborn followed with a sacrifice fly, chasing Sauter. Freshman
Luke Hammond came on and hit a batter before giving up a three-run double to Chris Kay.
Virginia Tech added a run in the seventh and three more in third to hand the Blackbirds their fifth straight loss. Sauter (0-2) was charged with six runs (five earned) in 5 1/3 innings of work. The lefty gave up eight hits and two walks while striking out two. Joe Mantiply (2-0) earned the win for the Hokies with six shutout innings. He gave up three hits and a walk and fanned eight.
The teams will wrap up their four-game series on Sunday, March 7 at noon.