hokies drop third straight, look to bounce back saturday

Wyatt Krueger

March 20, 2021

CLEMSON, S.C. — No. 25 Virginia Tech (9-7, 5-5 ACC) dropped its third straight game, this time losing 8-2 against Clemson (7-8, 2-5 ACC) to open the three-game series on Friday.

After their first three batters of the game reached base, loading the bases for TJ Rumfield, the Hokies were only able to muster one run in the top of the first, taking a 1-0 lead heading to the bottom half of the inning.

The Tigers responded with a five-run bottom of the first. First baseman Caden Grice singled in left fielder Kier Meredith to tie the game, and then Clemson took a 2-1 lead after catcher Jonathan French muscled an infield single to score shortstop James Parker.

Clemson took control of the game with a triple to left field by third baseman Bryar Hawkins, scoring three unearned runs to take a 5-1 lead off of senior pitcher Peyton Alford.

Despite the rough first inning, Alford would settle into the game, pitching six and ⅔ innings, giving up eight hits, eight runs (only four earned) and striking out nine.

On the offensive side, the Hokies were led by their two most productive hitters this season in second baseman Tanner Schobel and first baseman TJ Rumfield. Schobel went three-for-five and scored Virginia Tech’s second run of the game in the, while Rumfield ripped an RBI single to right field to score Shobel in the fifth.

Without Schobel and Rumfield, Virginia Tech’s offense went a combined four-for-27 at the plate, so production from different areas of the lineup will be needed to take the series against the Tigers.

On Saturday, Chris Gerard will take the mound for the Hokies. In his last appearance against Florida State, Gerard was unhittable, completing seven shutout innings and striking out eight while earning the win.

With its ace on the mound, we’ll see if Virginia Tech can get a much needed win against Clemson to avoid losing its fourth straight game and falling to below .500 in ACC play.