Collegiate Times

Hokies left hander Joe Mantiply throws a pitch.

The Virginia Tech baseball team’s struggles against the tough competition of the ACC continued this weekend as Tech was swept at home by No. 18 North Carolina in a three-game series.

The three losses drop the Hokies to 12-10, but perhaps more alarmingly, 0-6 in the ACC.

“It’s early and we have a good team,” said Pete Hughes, head coach. “We lost two really tight games at Miami with a couple of plays that could have went our way, and then we lose two one-run ball games here, so it’s not like we are looking at an obstacle to big for us to climb.”

Of the three losses, two of them were not only one-run contests, but both times, the Hokies stranded men in scoring position in the ninth inning to end the game.

“It’s really frustrating, but that’s just baseball — some day’s you’re going to have it and some days you’re not,” said Chad Pinder, outfielder. “I feel like if we have that approach we have in the ninth inning — when we’ve been down by these runs and we are battling back — if we can do that, then we’ll play better.”

While the weekend started off with a beautiful day for baseball, Friday wasn’t the series opener the Hokies were looking for.

After surrendering a quick run in the first, pitcher Joe Mantiply seemed to be in a groove, retiring nine straight batters through three innings.

However, after UNC third baseman Colin Moran beat Mantiply to the bag on an almost-double play that would have ended the fourth inning, Mantiply surrendered a three-run home run to the next batter, increasing the deficit to 4-0.

“I was a little frustrated that I didn’t end the inning there and lost focus a little,” Mantiply said. “(Wierzbicki) is a good hitter and he took advantage of my mistake.”

From that point, Mantiply unraveled. After giving up three more in the fifth, Mantiply was pulled after facing just one batter in the sixth. He finished his day with eight runs to his name — the highest total in his college career.

“I think (UNC’s) lefties did a great job hitting left-handed pitching this week,” Hughes said. “Joe is usually very good at the inside part of the plate, and he left a couple of balls up. They were good enough of an offensive team to capitalize on it.”

Tech finally got on the board with a two-run shot by Matt Blow, his second of the season, but the game was far from reach at that point. Tech dropped the opener 10-4 with Mantiply taking his third loss of the season.

In the middle game of the series, the Hokies played the Heels in a much closer game, but again, an early deficit was Tech’s undoing.

With two outs in the fourth inning, UNC DH Tom Zengel doubled with the bases loaded to put the Hokies in a 3-0 hole. Adding another in the fifth, UNC had built yet another 4-0 lead.

In the sixth inning, the Hokies started mounting a comeback, starting with Gabe Ortiz’s solo blast to begin the frame. A two-out double by Tim Smalling and a single by Ronnie Shaban gave the Hokies another run and Tech was within just two.

Headed into the ninth, the Hokies were down 5-2 and following a leadoff single by Shaban, two quick outs by Michael Seaborn and Blow made the game look all but over. Things started to look better as Pinder, not looking to be the last out of the game, kept the Hokies alive with a triple, bringing in Shaban.

After a double by Chad Morgan, the Hokies were suddenly within one run of the Heels and had a runner in scoring position.

However, the excitement was short-lived. Ortiz struck out to end the Tech rally and left the Hokies on the short end of the 5-4 affair.

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A version of this article appeared in the Mar 22 issue of the Collegiate Times.