Collegiate Times

If someone told Virginia Tech baseball coach Chuck Hartman his Hokies would post 11 runs against visiting James Madison University on Wednesday afternoon, he likely would have had a good feeling about Tech?s chances of snapping its five-game slide.

Against the Dukes in the second contest of a home-and-home series, the Hokies did indeed score 11 runs, but JMU, one of the hottest teams in the country with a 13-game win streak, posted 13 runs to hand Tech its sixth straight loss.

James Madison didn?t waste any time lighting up the scoreboard on a very windy Wednesday as shortstop Davis Stonebruner belted a homerun on the second pitch of the game from Tech?s Rhett Ballard. The Dukes were able to string together two doubles, a walk and a single to put up three more runs before Tech could send a batter to the plate.

Taking advantage of the Hokies? lack of offensive output in the first two innings, Spanky McFarland?s club scored four more runs in the third inning to bring the score to 8-0.

Tech cut its deficit in half in the bottom of the third inning behind back-to-back doubles by centerfielder Nate Parks and first baseman Sean O?Brien.

A leadoff double by leftfielder Billy Marn in the following inning started another four-run rally capped off by a two-run homer by O?Brien over the left-centerfield fence.

"He gave me what I liked, outside. I drive the ball the other way pretty well," said the left-handed O?Brien. "He just gave me a fastball about belt-high and I was just able to take it with the wind. It was the first pitch and I?m a first-pitch hitter."

With the score tied at eight in the top of the fifth and a runner on third with no outs, Tech relief pitcher Randy Buffington was able to pitch out of the jam when Joe Lake was called out for tagging up too early on a fly ball.

The Hokie offense kept up its run production in the bottom half of the inning behind doubles from Jose Rojas and Warren Schaeffer and a Matt Hacker single. Going into the sixth, Tech looked poised to end its losing streak and avenge the 15-5 JMU win on Tuesday in Harrisonburg.

However, Buffington walked the leadoff batter in the sixth and hit another batter putting two men on base. Adam Redd came in to finish the inning, but not before the Dukes recaptured the lead 12-11.

"We finally took the lead and then Randy goes out and what do we do? We walk one and we hit one," Hartman said. "Right then is when you gotta go out and get them three up-three down and get the momentum. But we flipped it and they end up scoring three runs and they go back up on us."

Behind the trio of Trevor Kaylid, Geoff Degener and Justin Wood, James Madison was able to keep Tech?s offense at bay and prolong its win streak.

Offensively, Parks, O?Brien, Hacker and Schaeffer combined for 10 of Tech?s 12 hits. O?Brien collected five RBIs on the day and Schaeffer tallied three of his own. Schaeffer?s three hits raised his average 37 points to .277 for the year, something Hartman was pleased to see.

"I think Warren has improved," Hartman said. "He comes to play. He?s probably one of our most competitive kids and he always listens. I?m not sure he always does it, but he always listens well and tries things and works hard on his hitting."

Although Tech is still in the midst of a losing streak and is now 7-9 on the year, Wednesday?s loss gave the team much to build upon.

"It?s tough because we?re struggling right now, and we know we have Florida State coming up," O?Brien said. "We?d like to get a win under our belt. But we fought back hard today which is all our coaches could ask for. I think that was the main positive from today."

Hartman said he was pleased to see the Hokies compete with their visitors for much of the game.

"I was very happy at the fact that the kids came back from eight runs down and were even able to take the lead," Hartman said. "I thought they battled their butts off. We can?t get concentrated for nine innings, and I don?t know what?s causing that."

The Hokies will host Florida State University this weekend in a three-game series beginning on Friday afternoon. Check Friday?s edition of the Collegiate Times for a complete preview of the series between Tech and the nation?s top-ranked team.