THIS IS MARCH: MADDEN'S WALK-OFF ERASES VCU'S UPSET BID

Sam Alves

March 10, 2021

BLACKSBURG, Va. — No. 18 Virginia Tech didn’t play with the lead for a single pitch against VCU. But thanks to Kevin Madden’s walk-off single that landed just in front of the Rams’ diving left fielder, they won 10-9 over its in-state foe.

Crazy things happen in March, eh?

Even crazier, though, is how ordinary these comeback wins are becoming for head coach John Szefc’s club.

Virginia Tech (8-2, 4-2 ACC) is now 6-2 when giving up the first run of the game. And for the second time in four days now, Tech has rallied from a five-run deficit to win.

The Hokies’ first five-run comeback of the week came against North Carolina on Friday, when Tech scored nine unanswered runs after trailing 6-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Then on Wednesday, with runners on first and second, No. 9 hitter Hogan Brown started the scoring in the second inning with a liner to right for an RBI. Tech starter Ryan Okuda then hit Michael Haydak’s front foot on an 0-2 pitch –– his final pitch of the day –– to load the bases.

On came freshman Xander Hamilton to relieve Okuda, who promptly gave up a grand slam to VCU third baseman Tyler Locklear — who had already homered in his last three games.

Seven outs into the game, VCU led 5-0, but plenty of twists and turns were left.

Both frames in the fourth inning ended with called strikeouts to strand loaded bases, but not before the Rams tallied two runs and the Hokies scored one, capping a three-inning stretch in which both teams traded blows as VCU led 9-7.

What’s March without a game of runs, right?

But on came the Tech trio of Noah Johnson, Graham Firoved, and winning pitcher Matthew Siverling, who all shut the door on the Rams over the last five innings.

As for Tech’s offense, in the bottom half of the sixth, TJ Rumfield got a hold of a hanging curveball for a leadoff double, and in came Rams reliever Danny Watson. An RBI single from Tanner Schobel scored Rumfield, and Schobel advanced to second on a wild pitch.

Then Kevin Madden’s opposite-field single set up first and third with no outs for Cade Swisher, who delivered a liner with just enough juice to reach the outfield, and the game was knotted at nine.

That’s when the crowd really started to have fun with Watson. It felt like Tech was going to deliver a knockout punch, but the Hokies weren’t going to score any more that inning –– in fact, neither team scored until the final play of the game.

A March scoring drought? Well, we are in Virginia after all.

The Hokies went small in the ninth. Gavin Cross drew a 3-2 walk and VCU pitcher Andrew Ward was called for a balk before his first pitch to Rumfield, sending Cross to second. Ward intentionally walked Rumfield with an open first base. Next, Hunter Vay couldn’t locate a ball in the dirt, so Cross took third on a wild pitch.

Two pitches later, Kevin Madden delivered his March moment –– a game winner.