Nine-run fourth inning helps No. 11 Virginia Tech Breeze Past Radford

By Nathan Andrews

Staff Writer

March 1, 2023

BLACKSBURG — The New River Valley rivalry was renewed on Tuesday afternoon, and the Hokies certainly took advantage of the moment. 

No. 11 Virginia Tech (6-2) trampled Radford (2-6) at English Field, dominating the Highlanders 17-2 in an overwhelming victory. A total of eight different Hokies drove in runs on the final day of February, as everything seemed to go Tech’s way. 

The game started with an impressive four outs pitched by RHP Nick Finarelli, who made his season debut. Only walking one batter, he collected a pair of strikeouts while throwing nine of 14 pitches for strikes. 

When asked about the freshman’s debut, head coach John Szefc pointed out multiple strengths from his pitcher despite not knowing his full potential yet.“He throws a lot of strikes. He’s got a good feel for a changeup,” Szefc said. “As long as you can throw strikes, you’ll get a pretty good opportunity to pitch.”

The first run was scored in the bottom of the first, as David Bryant led off the Hokies’ lineup by  crushing a towering homer over the center field wall. The blast was the graduate student’s first four-bagger of the season. 

The VT shortstop’s familiarity with his opponent benefited him on Tuesday afternoon. Bryant spent his first four years of his collegiate baseball career as a Highlander, ultimately transferring to Virginia Tech prior to the start of the 2023 season. 

“I was just excited for us to get going on the right foot,” Bryant said. “I was just trying to put a good swing on it. It was pretty sick.”

The Tennessee native had one of his best games of the season thus far, tallying two hits, two RBI’s and a walk on Tuesday. He was one of several driving factors that led to the Hokies’ feast on Radford. 

After the three-run first inning, the score margin kept getting larger for the maroon and orange. Virginia Tech went for nine runs in the fourth inning, the team’s most in a single inning so far this season. With RBI’s from Bryant, Carson DeMartini, Chris Cannizzaro and Carson Jones, the fourth inning turned the game from a contest to a blowout in the blink of an eye. 

Jones was responsible for four of those RBI’s as a result of his grand slam to right field in the bottom of the fourth. 

“We got a lot of guys with a lot of different skills,” Jones said. “It doesn’t matter who’s hot and who’s not. We all do a lot of great things.”

From there on out, it was quiet until the top of the seventh inning. Radford was able to drive in two runs, thanks to a double down the right field line by pinch hitter Sully Tibbs. Most of the Highlanders' production came in the inning, tallying three of their seven total hits in the top of the seventh.

The last of the action came in the bottom of the eighth, as the Hokies tacked on an extra four runs for assurance. With Coach Szefc deciding to give some players off the bench some reps, Virginia Tech drove in four runs in the penultimate inning. Carter Newman knocked his first collegiate home run, hammering a three-run shot over the left field wall.

Luke Jackman closed out the game in the ninth for the Hokies. It was his first appearance this season, and he was able to get out of the inning without running into any problems. 

The Hokies moved to 6-2 on the season following their thumping of Radford. They’ll look ahead to Friday, when they’ll host a three-game series against Charlotte.

The Highlanders fell to 2-6 after Tuesday’s loss. They will travel to Raleigh on Wednesday to face off against NC State.