cade swisher has career day in hokies big win over coastal foe

Jackson Didlake

April 18, 2021

BLACKSBURG — As an 89 mile-per-hour pitch was fed to the low strike zone, the sound of Cade Swisher’s aluminum bat rang throughout English Field as the freshman went deep to right field for his third and fourth RBIs of the day.

The Chesterfield, Va. native finished the day 3-for-3 with two RBI singles, the first two runs in the contest, in No. 17 Virginia Tech’s 7-0 triumph over Georgia Tech on Saturday.

It was the first three-hit performance for the former Cosby High School star, also marking the first time he’s driven in more than two runs in a single game. Swisher appeared in four pinch hit appearances in 2020, going 0-for-4 before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the season, but he’s come on strong early this year.

For the Hokies (20-11, 15-8 ACC) thus far in the series, pitching has been a tale of two games. Virginia Tech utilized eight different pitchers on Friday, allowing 14 hits and 15 runs in the loss. But on Saturday, head coach John Szefc relied on his ace and star pitcher this season, Anthony Simonelli.

Simonelli improved to 4-0 on the year with an impressive six-inning, two-hit, six-strikeout performance that was followed by three innings of Graham Firoved, who struck out five and allowed just two hits en route to his third save of the year.

While the Yellow Jackets (16-14, 13-10) went 0-9 at the leadoff spot at the start of every inning, the Hokies put themselves in a good position getting four leadoff men in their eight turns at bat. Additionally, Virginia Tech went 4-11 with runners in scoring position, stopping Georgia Tech in all five of its five attempts.

After Swisher started the scoring, Jack Hurley scored Tanner Thomas on a sac fly to extend the Hokies lead to three in the fourth inning.

Thomas later got a Hokies rally going in the sixth with a triple, the Hokies’ first three-bagger of the season, that scored Tanner Schobel. Thomas scored on the next at bat when Swisher went deep to put Virginia Tech ahead by six.

Thomas capped off a solid 2-for-4 day by scoring his fourth run of the day on a Nick Biddison sac fly in the eighth inning.

Sam Crawford was credited with the loss for the Yellow Jackets after allowing nine hits and five runs in five innings of work. Tres Gonzalez was the lone Jacket with a multi-hit game, recording a 2-for-4 day.

The two ACC foes meet on Sunday at 1 p.m. for a rubber match that will decide the series winner.