BLACKSBURG, Va. – (Via Hokiesports.com) Tom Stoffel drove in single runs early then capped Virginia Tech’s run support for starter Dylan Hall with a grand slam in the seventh to lead the Hokies to an 11-3 win over visiting Marshall on Tuesday afternoon at English Field at Union Park.
Marshall (14-14) would hold a 3-2 lead after three frames, hitting solo home runs in each of the first three frames before Hall settled into a groove on the mound.
Meanwhile, it was Stoffel tying the game each time for Tech (14-17), with an RBI single in the bottom of the first scoring Jack Owens, the second Nick Owens and in the fourth Stevie Mangrum, which knotted the game at 3-3.
In the fifth, the Hokies took their first lead of the afternoon on Sam Fragale’s three-run home run and Mangrum followed with a solo shot to put the home squad ahead by four.
Stoffel, who had already notched a pair of two-out RBI singles, came to the plate in the seventh with the bases loaded and two outs. He worked a full count then launched the opposite field grand slam to finish off his team’s scoring for the day.
On the mound, Hall surrendered a single after the third home run, but then retired the next 12 Thundering Herd batters, a career-long, and 14 of the last 15 batters he faced. Joey Sullivan struck out two in the eighth and Grant Squyars finished the ninth for Tech.