Parker's home run dooms no. 25 virginia tech despite connolly's gem

Sam Alves

March 21, 2021

CLEMSON, S.C. — Shane Connolly frustrated Clemson’s batters for seven innings, but James Parker’s three-run homer in the eighth inning propelled the Tigers to a 4-2 rubber match win, handing No. 25 Virginia Tech its second series loss in a row.

And for the second time in a week, Virginia Tech (10-8, 6-6 ACC) lost a game in which its starter posted a double-digit strikeout total.

On March 19, Peyton Alford struck out 10 Florida State hitters in a 6-4 defeat. Then on Sunday, Connolly one-upped his teammate with 11 strikeouts of his own in his team’s loss.

Connolly’s first start in the maroon and orange saw nine batters go down swinging and two looking. Hardly overpowering, the junior transfer from The Citadel kept Clemson’s batters off-balance by mixing fastballs and off-speed pitches late in the count in an efficient, 107-pitch effort.

Not to be outdone, Clemson (8-9, 3-6 ACC) sent a trio of its own to the mound and only allowed one earned run over nine innings.

Virginia Tech started the scoring with an unearned run in the fourth inning. With runners on first and third following singles by Tanner Schobel and TJ Rumfield, the Hokies ran a double steal.

Anticipating a throw to second that never came, Schobel looked to be caught in a rundown, but the throw to third from Tigers catcher Jonathan French found left field instead, allowing a run to score.

That was the only run to score during redshirt sophomore Keyshawn Askew’s first start of the year. Limited to a pitch count due to the injury that delayed his season debut, Askew relied on a wipeout slider to strike out seven Hokies.

When Askew’s time was up, in came right-handed Nick Clayton. He worked around a two-out double from Saturday’s star, Fritz Genther, and then delivered two straight one-two-three innings in an efficient outing of his own.

In the meantime, Clemson evened the score when Byrce Teddosio scored from first on a two-out single from Elijah Anderson — the only run the Tigers scored on Connolly.

So it was a pitchers’ duel knotted at one through seven innings, with Connolly and reliever Graham Firoved squaring off against Askew and Clayton in the first low-scoring game of the series.

Clemson reliever Geoffry Gilbert then entered the game in the top of the eighth and immediately gave up a home run to right to Dayne Leonard, his first as a Hokie. Then Genther singled and Tanner Thomas, who replaced Jonah Seagears at the top of the order in the fifth inning, was struck by a pitch, setting up a major jam for Gilbert to work through with no outs.

But Gilbert escaped.

Genther was easily picked off at second, and a ground out, followed by a strikeout held the Hokies to just a run in the frame.

Firoved was in position to build on Connolly’s fine performance, retiring the first two batters he faced in the eighth. But he was pulled after walking Kier Meredith with two outs, and Noah Johnson took over with a runner on first base, needing just an out to escape the inning.

Johnson was wildly inaccurate on his first pitch and plunked Brewer with his second.

Instead of getting his club out of a jam, Parker’s three-run home run — guided by the breeze to nearly the identical spot where Leonard’s blast landed in right center field — tipped the scales for the Tigers in the game and the series.

Johnson then got his out and ended the inning by fanning Caden Grice.

In the top of the ninth, Kevin Madden singled with two outs, but pinch-hitting Lucas Donlon couldn’t pull the Hokies even in the ninth after he struck out to end the afternoon.

For their work late, Geoffrey Gilbert (1-1) was given the win and Noah Johnson (0-2) was given the loss.

The Hokies will have the week off before heading to Pittsburgh to take on the Atlantic Coastal Division-leading No. 18 Pitt Panthers (11-4, 8-3 ACC) in the first conference series in the City of Bridges this season.