Jones leads 'monster' offensive performance to take Game 1 from Duke

By Sam Alves

Staff Writer

May 19, 2022

BLACKSBURG — In the last week of a historic season for No. 3 Virginia Tech, Carson Jones found himself in the starting lineup for the first time since the first game of a doubleheader at Georgia Tech on March 13.

The 6-foot-2 sophomore was in and out of the lineup last year, when Tech was desperate for a spark in the midst of a 2-15 skid that brought a promising season to a screeching halt. This year, though, the lineup is mostly set — and for good reason, given the results — with Jones not among the bottom-of-the-order platoon.

That changed Tuesday, when Jones started against Kansas State — and homered in his first at-bat — as Tech’s DH in a midweek game, when lineups are prone to tinkering and reserve players are afforded precious chances to make an impact in game action.

That’s not usually the case in conference play, though, certainly not for a team with eyes on a Coastal — and potentially an ACC — championship. Yet there Jones was again Thursday, No. 7 in the lineup behind the usual six starters, this time one-upping his previous performance by belting two home runs and scoring three runs.

Tech (38-11, 16-9 Atlantic Coast) needed every run it could get in a seesaw affair, winning 15-11 over last-place Duke (22-30, 10-18 ACC) at English Field. With temperatures in the low 80s and the wind blowing out for much of the game, the teams clubbed 11 home runs total in an offensive display that would have made Hunter Cattoor proud.

“I thought it was one of the best [games] we’ve had all year,” Tech head coach John Szefc said. “The reason why is it was ugly and sloppy at times — it was difficult — and our guys still found a way to come through.”

The Hokies did so in large part due to their six home runs. That tally included a long ball from Tanner Schobel that was originally ruled foul, one that re-tied Tech catcher Cade Hunter — who homered himself — for the team lead on the season with 15 four-baggers.

“We’re not cocky, but we’re confident,” Jones said of the offense.

The barrage of blasts buoyed the game for the Hokies, with starter Griffin Green unable to record his 10th out in the fourth before an early exit. Over 51 pitches, the righty allowed six earned runs before Henry Weycker, Graham Firoved and Jonah Hurney — Tech’s three most prized bullpen arms — finished the last ⅔ of the game, allowing four earned runs collectively.

“Maybe around the sixth inning or so, I said to Ryan [Fecteau, Tech’s pitching coach]: We’ve got to approach this game like we did at Notre Dame,” Szefc said. “Just do what you got to do to get out of here [with a win.”]

There were only two scoreless innings — the third and eighth — and the top of the seventh was the only other scoreless frame.

Duke needed just three pitches to set up runners on the corners after two sharp singles. RJ Schreck then brought home the game’s first run with a groundout to second. Green limited the damage, though, throwing out Chad Knight at third and inducing another groundout to second to finish an action-packed, eight-pitch top of the first.

The Hokies responded with authority, all with two outs. First, Schobel snuck a bouncing ball inside the left-field foul line for a double, and Jack Hurley pulled a single that dragged just beyond the reach of second baseman Wil Hoyle. Then Hunter launched the first long ball of a long afternoon for the pitchers.

Duke’s own No. 7 hitter, first baseman Chris Crabtree was a double short of the cycle in just the fifth inning. Hitting behind him, catcher Alex Stone started his day off with two homers and the bottom third of the Blue Devil lineup started 7-for-7 with three homers.

“I think a lot of teams, when they get homers hit off of them and teams score on them, they kind of just roll over and say, ‘Whatever, there’s always tomorrow,’” Schobel said….But for this team, we know we’re never out of the game no matter how much the other team scores.”

The Hokies outhit Duke 15-14 while both squads committed two errors. But the confidence to make the next play nudged Tech ahead where it mattered in the end.

For example, Schobel bobbled the ball that prevented an inning-ending double play in the fourth, leading to two extra runs. But he made up for his mistake with a sparkling diving pick to start an inning-ending double play in the eighth.

With Tech and Miami winning Thursday, the race for the Coastal — one the Hokies have never won — will come down to the final two games. The Hokies need one more win than the Hurricanes in the last series of the season to win the division.

Despite the security of another offensive onslaught, there’s a serious warning to take from Game 1 of the series.

“These guys have created the monster — what the team is,” Szefc said. “Now, it’s up to us to feed the monster.

“When I was at Marist [College] in ‘02, I explained to them: You have created this monster; it’s your responsibility to show up every day and feed it. You can’t take a day off. There’s no days off.”