Hokies secure the commonwealth clash with high-powered offensive day

By Jacob Sawyers

Staff Writer

April 2, 2023

BLACKSBURG — In the midst of some Sunday sunshine, children running around, and a sea of maroon, a sharp ping of the bat made all heads turn to the centerfield wall of English Field. An uproarious “Let’s go Hokies!” chant soon followed.

That swing came off the bat of Virginia Tech’s Chris Cannizzaro, who sent a three-run moonshot into deep center. The hit gave Tech a 10-6 lead against an in-state rival and the No. 5 team in the country, the Virginia Cavaliers. Cannizzaro’s blast was all the insurance the Hokies needed to secure the Commonwealth Clash in back-to-back seasons.

“That was probably the biggest home run I’ve ever hit,” Cannizzaro said to reporters after the game. “I know it was a high-pressure situation, but I tried to just make it seem like a normal at-bat. I love moments like those, and I love being able to pull through.”

Virginia Tech (17-10, 4-8 ACC) went on to win the contest, 12-7. However, the Cavs (24-4, 8-4 ACC) did all they could to bring the Commonwealth title back to Charlottesville.

The game started with a quick three runs from the ‘Hoos, who have cemented themselves as one of the best-hitting teams in the country. Tech third baseman Carson DeMartini responded with a bases-clearing triple. He scored later in the inning to give the Hokies a 4-3 lead.

Then the Cavs began tacking on runs. A hitting onslaught from Jake Gelof, Kyle Teel and Ethan Anderson propelled Virginia to a 6-5 lead after four innings. Runs certainly were not at a premium, and Tech needed somebody on the mound to keep navy-and-orange runners off the bases.

Enter Kiernan Higgins, the fifth-year senior who pitched nearly three crucial innings, relinquishing only one run in the process. He held UVA scoreless during the fifth, sixth and seventh inning.

“For me, the two biggest things today were [Jonah] Hurney and [Kiernan] Higgins,” Tech head coach John Szefc said. “Those guys went out and did what the program needed them to do.”

The Hokies went cold after DeMartini’s early rope, until the bottom of the sixth, when center fielder Jack Hurley smoked a two-run shot over the right field wall.

“Dang, really?” Hurley said when told he hit his seventh home run in seven games today. “I changed some approaches a few weeks ago; since then, I’ve just been super confident heading up [to the plate].”

Hurley’s swing gave Virginia Tech the lead again. Higgins continued to deal, and the Hokies looked to add some breathing room after the seventh-inning-stretch. They were able to relax after Cannizzaro's aforementioned blast.

A pair of solo shots from catcher Brody Donay and Hurley in the eighth busted the game wide open. Both quickly soared over the left field wall and served as reminders that the state belonged to the Blacksburg ballclub.

When Hurney took the mound in the top of the ninth with a 12-7 lead, fans knew what they were seeing: a season-defining moment. The Hokies, who had competed for a Super Regional less than a year ago, proved they could compete with the best talent in the nation. 

“If you look at this weekend, it’s a microcosm of how our season’s going,” Szefc said. “I told [the players] that it’s April 2. It almost feels like the second beginning of our season.”

After the hard-fought series, the team huddled around the Smithfield Commonwealth Clash sign for a picture. Children ran the bases, and players stuck around to sign some baseballs and posters for the kids — a picturesque way to end a rivalry game. However, there is still plenty of work to do for Hurley, DeMartini and Co. The maroon-and-range yearn to climb the ACC rankings in the coming weeks.

The Hokies will look to build on their momentum next weekend in an away series against Duke. UVA takes on the Liberty Flames on Tuesday.

“It’s the biggest series of the year, honestly,” Higgins said. “Winning like this shows that we are turning it around, and we’re going full steam ahead.”