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The Canes narrowly avoided a two-out rally by the Hokies in the ninth inning to secure the win with a final strikeout by Ryan Bilka, capturing the series 8-6. Leading into the ninth with a six-run lead, the Canes’ pitcher Frank Menendez struggled to get the final out. With one run already scored and runners on the corners, JD had to bring in Ryan Bilka to close the game. However, Ethan Ball then took a 1-0 count and hit a deep fly to right field, 420 feet away, clearing the bases and giving the Hokies some hope. Fans, unsettled as the bullpen showed signs of strain again, relaxed slightly when Sam Grube swung at the third strike. They still had to wait for the throw to first to confirm the win and series victory.
Max Galvin rejoined the starting lineup after 46 days on the injured list due to an injury he sustained during the UCF game in February. He appeared in yesterday’s blowout game as a pinch hitter, where he recorded an infield single. Galvin replaced Dylan Dubovik in left field, who has been struggling after an unusually strong start.
Virginia Tech selected its ace starter, Brett Renfrow, who kept Miami largely in check through three innings. However, the game changed dramatically in the fourth, as Miami’s offense surged, batting around and putting five runs on the board with six hits. After this explosive inning, Miami shifted to a more conservative approach, relaxing until the ninth. In that final inning, Frank Menendez faltered, failing to record the last out. JD then brought in his closer, who unfortunately surrendered a three-run homer to the first batter faced, turning the game into a tense battle as Miami realized they were no longer in control but fighting to hold off a determined Hokie team.
Lazaro Collera, following his strongest performance last week, earned the start for tonight’s game. Similar to Rob Evans yesterday, he had a rough beginning, loading the bases with one out. Hudson Lutterman flied out to left-center. The runner at third tagged up, and Tech nearly scored the first run of the game, but Fabio refused to concede the automatic. He threw a quick throw home, catching Nick Locurto at the plate, completing the double play and ending the inning. The Hokies challenged the call and lost, awarding Fabio the defensive play of the game.
Tech’s offense bounced back in the second inning after a tough first, pushing it to Collera with back-to-back doubles and scoring first for the second straight night. This started with a different Hokie team holding Miami off the scoreboard after Jake Ogden’s opening triple, only to be left stranded at third, collecting dust, watching Cuvet foul out to the catcher, and Sosa and West both striking out. It wasn’t until the third that Miami managed to get on the board, with Daniel redeeming himself with a one-out triple, and Sosa with a sacrifice fly to left to tie the score at one.
Friday night’s explosive offense finally took control in the fourth inning, batting around and scoring five runs on six hits. After West struck out to start the inning, back-to-back singles by Galvin and Sheahan put runners on first and second, creating another scoring chance with Alvarez stepping to the plate. Watching the third strike, hopeful fans feared another setback after the missed scoring opportunity in the first, only to see Ogden stranded. While fans groaned as Alonzo struck out, the offense was nearing a breakthrough, with Fabio delivering an RBI single, Jake hitting his second triple of the night to score two runs, and Daniel hitting his 11th homer of the year, passing Yonder Alonso to move into third place on the all-time HR list with 53. Daniel needs 10 more homers to pass Phil Lane and claim second place on the list, a record Lane set with 62 homers from 1980 to 1982.
Leading 6-1, the Canes extend their lead with a seventh run in the fifth inning, taking advantage of a defensive lapse by the Hokies. West starts the inning with a walk. Galvin grounds out 4-3, advancing West to second. West noted that no one was covering third strolls to third uncontested. Taking advantage of the defense’s laxity, Sheahan obliges with a SF to right for the Cane’s 7th run.
After four scoreless innings, the Hokies capitalized on Miami’s pitching change—bringing in Guidewell for Collera. Overall, it wasn’t as strong as last week, but Lazaro still had a solid night, striking out five and allowing just one run on five hits. Unfortunately, the bullpen struggled to respond effectively to the pitching switch. With the new pitcher in, Tech opened with a single and a one-out walk. Lyndon managed to get the second out before an RBI single, which put runners on the corners, prompting JD to walk out for a pitching change. Jack Durso faced one batter, striking him out to end his outing after just five pitches. Miami now led 7-2. Miami responded in the 8th inning with an RBI single from Jake, his fourth hit of the night, bringing home Fabio from second base, who had doubled earlier.
Instead of sticking with Durso after closing out the seventh inning, JD brought in Frank Menendez for his second appearance since returning from IR. Frank pitched a solid eighth, striking out one of the three batters he faced. Still within his pitch count, he returned in the ninth with Miami holding a comfortable 8-2 lead. The last three outs are always the hardest in baseball, and Frank was about to learn that firsthand. Two walks, a passed ball, and an RBI single with runners on the corners ended Frank’s night, as he was unable to record that final out. A pitcher change was made, bringing in Ryan Bilka, who also struggled to secure the final out. He eventually succeeded, but not before giving up a three-run homer to the first batter he faced, narrowing the lead from 8-2 at the start of the inning to 8-6. A dropped third strike ultimately ended the game, but not before Sosa threw out the batter at first.
The team had another strong night at the plate. Jake Ogden led the offense with a 4-5 performance, including two triples, a double, a single, and three RBIs, earning him player of the game honors. Three other players contributed multiple hits: Daniel Cuvet went 2-5 with a triple and a home run, Vance Sheahan was 2-3, and Fabio Peralta finished 2-4 with a double. Alex Sosa also added a double. Strikeouts decreased to eight, and the team hit .353 overall, going 4-11 with runners in scoring position. Five of Miami’s eight runs came with two outs. Derek Williams saw his hitting streak end at ten games, while Alex Sosa extended his to twelve. Fabio has reached base in 18 consecutive games, and Sosa leads the team with 20.
Concern still lingers regarding pitching, especially the bullpen and, more specifically, our closer. Our starters are performing as expected, unlike last year when they struggled to go beyond four innings. The bullpen’s performance is inconsistent, often due to being cold rather than hot. The biggest concern is Ryan Bilka’s ability to effectively fulfill his role in closing out games. His ERA stands at 4.87, which seems high. Currently, he is our primary option, and we hope he will improve as the season progresses. He cannot continue giving up home runs, which have now totaled four.
Tomorrow, we plan a crucial sweep. AJ Cisca is expected to start if approval is granted. He will have a pitch limit, so we hope our bats stay hot to produce enough runs for our bullpen to hold. The game begins at 1 PM
