BOX SCORE

RADFORD, Va. – No. 20 Virginia Tech scored at least one run in each of the first five innings, including four in the second and five in the fourth, en route to a 16-6 win over Radford on Tuesday afternoon. 

The Hokies (26-13), ranked 20th in the most recent Baseball America poll, pounded out 18 hits, including nine that resulted in extra bases.

Alex Guerra went 2-for-3 at the plate with a two-run homer, his second, and four RBIs for the Highlanders (17-18).   Reggie Keen finished 3-for-4 and scored twice.   Matt Mack also added a solo homer, his fourth, for Radford in the eighth inning. 

For Virginia Tech, Steve Domecus finished 4-for-4 with three doubles, six RBIs and two runs scored.  Tim Smalling went 3-for-5 with four runs scored and Ronnie Shaban finished his day at the plate 4-for-5, collected four RBIs and scored twice.   The Sosnoskie brothers, Anthony and Buddy, each hit solo home runs for the Hokies. 

“That's a really good offensive club,” head coach Joe Raccuia said.  “They're a different kind of offensive team from [top-ranked] Virginia – Virginia methodically beats you, while Tech hit balls in the alley and out of the park.  We just didn't throw enough strikes today.”

After Austin Wates' RBI single with two outs in the top of the first that gave the Hokies a 1-0 lead, Keen crossed the plate to even the score at 1-1 on a two-out RBI-single by Guerra through the right side in the bottom of the first. 

Virginia Tech's big innings came in a four-run second and a five-run fourth.   In the second, the Hokies did all of their damage with two outs, including a three-run double by Domecus to left center that gave Virginia Tech a 5-1 lead.  The Hokies batted around in the fourth, an inning where Domecus doubled again, this time a two-run hit to right center, along with RBI hits by Shaban and the Sosnoskie brothers.

Guerra blasted a two-run homer to right field in the fourth to bring the score within eight, 11-3.  Andrew Cook followed with a double off the top of the fence in center field and later scored on a one-out single by Robert Lamas through the left side. 

“I liked the way our hitters battled again,” Raccuia said.  “I like they way they're starting to come together.  This is not a setback – we didn't pitch well enough to win, but offensively I like where we're at right now.”

The Highlanders will continue play at home tomorrow, April 21 against North Carolina A&T at 3 p.m.