QU Baseball Swept by Virginia Tech in Saturday Doubleheader, 13-4 and 4-3

Saturday, March 5

Blacksburg, VA

1 PM

Quinnipiac University

3-3

Virginia Tech

7-3

Quinnipiac

Virginia Tech

QU Baseball Swept by Virginia Tech in Saturday Doubleheader, 13-4 and 4-3

3/5/2016 10:17:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: QU Sports Information

BLACKSBURG, Virginia – Quinnipiac baseball catcher/first baseman Lou Iannotti (North Haven, Connecticut) rattled off three hits and drove in three RBIs Saturday afternoon but the Bobcats were swept in a doubleheader at Virginia Tech, losing 13-4 in the first game before a 4-3 loss in game two.

Quinnipiac nearly pulled off the upset victory in game two of the doubleheader as the Bobcats scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning, but the Hokies scored a run in the bottom of the ninth to halt the Bobcats comeback and walk-off with the victory.

Robert Pescitelli (West Islip, New York) picked up a pair of hits in the doubleheader, walked twice, scored two runs and stole one base for the Bobcats in a well-rounded day at the plate.

Justin Thomas (Enfield, Connecticut) was solid once again for the Bobcats as the lefthander struck out a season-high seven batters in the no-decision. Thomas scattered six hits over the six innings, allowing just two earned runs and walking two batters.

Game One:

Iannotti went 2 for 4 in game one of the doubleheader, driving home one run to lead the team in hits. Julius Saporito (Manalapan, New Jersey) went 1 for 3 with his first double of the season, a walk and a RBI. Joe Burns (Shelton, Connecticut) went 1 for 3 with a run scored and Matthew Batten (Shelton, Connecticut) tallied a RBI.

After the Hokies jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, the Bobcats tied the game 2-2 in the top of the third. Matthew Payero (Corona, New York) was hit by a pitch and stole second base. Pescitelli walked to put runners on second and third before the Bobcats pulled off the double steal. Batten lifted a sacrifice to centerfield, scoring Payero from third base and advancing Pescitelli to third. Iannotti followed by reaching first on an error by the third baseman, scoring Pescitelli.

Virginia Tech went on to score 11 more runs from the bottom of the third inning until the Bobcats added two more runs in the top of the ninth inning. Burns singled up the middle to lead off the inning and advanced to second as Ryan Nelson (Knoxville, Tennessee) reached via a fielder's choice. Burns moved up to third on a Ben Gibson (Sagamore Beach, Massachusetts) and came home to score on Brian Moskey's (Higganum, Connecticut) sacrifice fly to right field. With Nelson still on first base, Saporito drilled a double to centerfield, scoring Nelson from first base to make it 13-4.

Virginia Tech's Tom Stoffel led the Hokies as he went 3 for 4 with two doubles, one home run, four runs scored and two RBI. Nick Anderson went 4 for 5 with a double and four RBI. In total, five different Hokies recorded multiple hits in game one of the doubleheader.

Game 2:
The Bobcats fared much better in the second game of the doubleheader, led by Pescitelli's 2 for 4 day at the plate, scoring one run in the game. Saporito went 1 for 3 with a run score, Batten was 1 for 4 with a double, run and a RBI and Iannotti was 1 for with two RBI. All five hits came from the top for batters in the lineup, combining to go 5 for 15.

Thomas kept the Bobcats in the game throughout his start, with Matthew Osieja (Wyckoff, New Jersey) pitching a scoreless seventh inning after Christian Nicolosi (Stony Point New York) allowed one run in his first appearance of the season.
The Hokies scored single runs in the bottom of the first, fourth seventh innings. In the first inning, Matt Dauby singled to left field to score Phil Sciretta from third base. Sciretta came home to score in the fourth inning on another Dauby single. In the seventh, Dauby came home to score on a Ryan Tufts sacrifice bunt.

Quinnipiac put up three runs in the top of the ninth inning to tie the game for the second time in the doubleheader. Pescitelli reached on a single through the right side with one out in the inning before moving up to second on a Saporito single. Batten doubled to deep left centerfield, scoring Pescitelli easily. With two runners in scoring position, Iannotti singled up the middle to score both Saporito and Batten to tie the game.

Virginia Tech scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth on a wild pitch, bringing home Saige Jenco to make it 4-3.

Quinnipiac and Virginia Tech wrap up their four game series on Sunday, March 6 at 12 PM. Taylor Luciani (Berlin, Connecticut; 1-0, 3.00 ERA) and Jon Woodcock (1-1, 6.75 ERA) are the probable starters in the contest.