Hackenberg, Bryant Lead the Hokies Past Georgia Tech in Series Sweep

By Jacob Sawyers

Staff Writer

April 17th, 2023

BLACKSBURG – There’s something to be said about the medley of sound pitching and dominant hitting. The game turns into a relaxing exchange between players: aces feel poised with their insurance runs and batters step up to the plate comfortably. That dynamic summed up the Hokies’ Sunday at English Field.

On Sunday afternoon Virginia Tech (21-12, 8-9 ACC) swatted the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 9-2. The win put a bow on Tech’s three-game sweep in which the Jackets (20-16, 7-11 ACC) produced only 10 total runs. The maroon-and-orange racked up 32.

Sunday’s outing was peppered with extra-base hits from the usual suspects. Jack Hurley hit another opposite-field dinger. Carson DeMartini roped a triple down the first base line, then hit his patented gorilla celebration. Garrett Michel blasted an easy double and a monstrous 410-foot homer to center. However, one Hokie gave a season-rejuvenating effort. 

“It was sick,” third baseman David Bryant said about his two-home run performance. “I try to not let my confidence ever get too low, but it’s hard when you’re struggling. I waited it out for a day like this, and it finally happened.”

Bryant’s two bombs were mirror images of one another. Both traveled 400+ feet over the right field wall, and both got out of the ballpark quickly. They were only the Radford transfer’s second and third homers of the season.

“He’s [Bryant] a good player,” Tech head coach John Szefc said. “Mechanically, he settled into the zone and started doing what he did all fall. I’ve watched him play for four years, so I know he’s always capable of a day like today.”

While Bryant got back on track, other batters continued their 2023 tears.

“I’m up [at the plate] with intent to do some damage,” Hurley said, who hit his team-best 15th home run of the season. “Seeing that ball up in the zone, I’m ready to hammer it.”

Hurley’s solo shot darted over the left-field wall, moving him closer to the top of the ACC home run leaderboard. His homer on Sunday was his 11th bomb in 13 games.

But the story of the weekend — and the missing mosaic in the Hokies’ season landscape —  was pitching. On Saturday night, right-handed pitcher Griffin Green relinquished only one run and three hits during a winning start before exiting with an injury. Sophomore Drue Hackenburg picked up right where Green left off during Sunday’s game. The starter has only given up one earned run in his last 13 innings pitched.

“It’s all been about staying smooth and staying consistent,” Hackenberg said. “I’ve been focusing on not doing too much [these last two starts].”

That aforementioned medley was on full display Sunday. Hackenberg threw six innings without having to worry about perfection. In turn, the Hokies were calm and collected at the plate with no fear of a Yellow Jacket hitting clinic.

Sunday’s game was played on the 16th anniversary of the tragedy that took place on Virginia Tech’s campus, and the game began with a somber moment of silence. The team also wore stickers to pay tribute to the 32 victims, and seeing a dominant performance placed a positive sentiment across English Field’s patrons.

The Hokies now reach yet another inflection point of 2023. VT’s sweep of GT was the first weekend where the ballclub dominated nearly every inch of the diamond. With only a handful of ACC series remaining, it’s an optimal time for the 2022 Blacksburg Regional champions to hit their stride.

“We’ve always thought [we were a team to beat], but we just hadn’t played that well,” Szefc said. “I think we have played a lot more to our capability in these last few ACC weekends.”

Tech will travel across Montgomery County for a Tuesday matchup against the Radford Highlanders. It will be a reunion for Sunday’s hero in the batter box. Bryant said that he looked forward to reuniting with some familiar faces.

And after a statement sweep over Georgia Tech, he knows the Hokies aren’t done yet.

“I still firmly believe that we have yet to play our best baseball.”