University of Delaware Athletics
Delaware Baseball Falls to #24 Virginia Tech, 13-4
2/24/2013 3:49:00 PM | Baseball
BLACKSBURG, Va. –The University of Delaware baseball team fell to #24 Virginia Tech, 13-4, Sunday night at Virginia Tech's English Field.
Delaware dropped to 3-2 on the season as Virginia Tech, who entered the weekend ranked No. 24 in the Baseball America poll, improve to a 6-1 record.
“A bad fourth inning for us really opened the flood gates,” Delaware head coach Jim Sherman remarked about the Blue Hens allowing five runs to the Hokies during the inning. “Offensively we hit, but left too many runners on the bases.”
The Blue Hens had opportunities throughout the game as UD collected 13 hits and left 14 men on the bases in the loss. Joe Giacchino (at left) led the Hens with his first three-hit game of the season and collected his first Delaware home run behind a solo shot in the fifth inning.
Jimmy Yezzo extended his hitting streak to 16 games with an RBI single in the top of the first inning. Nick Ferdinand added to his hitting and run-scoring streak that now stands at 11 games.
The Hokies smashed 13 hits in the win as Chad Pinder, Tyler Horan and Sean Keselica each tallied three hits apiece. Keselica and Horan also added three RBI in the nightcap.
Virginia Tech starter Brad Markey (2-0) earned his second-straight victory after the right-hander held Delaware to two runs on nine hits, one walk and 10 strikeouts in six innings.
Adam Davis (0-2) suffered the loss for the Blue Hens as the right-hander surrendered eight earned runs on 10 hits, one walk and three strikeouts in four innings on the mound.
Delaware jumped to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning after leadoff hitter, Giacchino, lined a single, advanced to second on a groundout and sprinted home on Yezzo's RBI single.
Horan's first home run of the season knotted the game at 1-1 for the Hokies in the bottom of the second inning.
Virginia Tech claimed a 3-1 advantage in the third inning after Alex Perez's leadoff single was followed by RBI base knocks from Pinder and Horan.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Virginia Tech seized a seven-run advantage. Kaeselica tallied a RBI single with the bases loaded while Pinder added a two-run single. Mark Zagunis capped the frame with a two-run double that made the game 8-1.
Giacchino's first home run of his Blue Hen career brought UD within six runs, 8-2, in the top of the fifth inning.
The Hokies recaptured a seven-run advantage in the bottom of the fifth inning. Horan drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a balk called on Blue Hen reliever Matt Soren and was driven in on Keselica RBI single.
The Hens ratcheted a pair of runs in the seventh inning. DJ Long hammered a one-out double and advanced to third after tagging on a foul pop out that carried VT's third baseman down the left-field line to make the play. Ferdinand added a two-out RBI single that plated Long. Following a walk to Tyler Powell that bumped Ferdinand into scoring position, pinch-hitter Zach Lopes knocked in Ferdinand on a RBI single that narrowed the UD gap to five, 9-4.
In the bottom of the seventh inning the Hokies added four runs that made the score 13-4 on; a A Rash's sacrifice fly, Keselica's and Perez's RBI singles and a bases-loaded wild pitch uncorked by Delaware reliever Luke Alicknavitch.
The Blue Hens will complete their second weekend of the 2013 season with a final game against Virginia Tech, first pitch set for 3:00 p.m. at English Field. UD will hand the ball to right-hander Eric Buckland (1-0, 1.29) while VT counters with right-hander Devin Burke (1-0, 0.00).
