Collegiate Times

The Virginia Tech baseball team dropped two of three games over the weekend to start their season, at Coastal Carolina’s Caravelle Resort Tournament.

The decision to play tougher out-of-conference opponents to start the season may have backfired. Tech (1-2) led in all three games but could only hang on to the lead once, in the third game of the weekend.

The Hokies lost to Kentucky, 15-6, and to No. 12 Coastal Carolina 13-5. They salvaged the tournament with a 14-3 victory over West Virginia.

Against Kentucky, the Hokies got on the board in the first inning. Senior catcher Anthony Sosnoskie singled to drive in redshirt junior shortstop Tim Smalling. That would be the last lead of the game for Tech. The Wildcats scored once in the first and second innings and put up eight runs in the third.

Junior pitcher Justin Wright (0-1) took the loss, allowing 10 runs, eight earned, on 10 hits.

Junior first baseman Austin Wates paced the Hokies going 2-3 with two walks and two runs batted in.

In the next game, Tech scored first by putting up a three-spot in second inning. Sophomore pitcher Mathew Price (0-1) retired the first eight batters he faced. After that, it was all Coast Carolina. The Chanticleers scored runs in five straight innings to build an insurmountable lead.

Once again, Wates was the Hokies best offensive player. This time he went 3-5 with one RBI.

Redshirt senior Steve Domecus finished 0-5 with two strikeouts in the cleanup spot, leaving four runners on base.

The tide finally turned in the third game of the tournament. Head coach Pete Hughes made some lineup changes and defensive adjustments. He moved Wates to left field, Domecus to catcher and Sosnoskie to designated hitter.

Whether or not that sparked the Hokies is unclear, but Tech scored eight runs in the first three innings. The offense produced 18 hits, while the defense committed no errors.

Smalling went 5-5 with one RBI and three runs scored. Domecus found his offensive touch, going 2-3 with one home run and five RBI.

Redshirt junior second baseman Michael Seaborn fell one triple short of the cycle. He finished 4-5 with two RBI and two runs scored.

Junior pitcher Jesse Hahn made his much-anticipated first start of the season and did not disappoint. He tossed seven innings, allowed just five hits and struck out four.

For the weekend, Wates led the Hokies with a .583 average and he tied Smalling for first with seven hits.

The Hokies travel to Charleston, S.C. to take on Charleston Southern in a three-game series. The first game will be Friday at 2 p.m.