Hokies rally to stun Cavs

Just a strike away from sweeping its in-state rival, Virginia fans rose to their feet Sunday at Davenport Field.

That, however, was as close as weekend perfection would come for a sellout crowd that sat stunned as a would-be win evaporated.

Twentieth-ranked Virginia Tech scored five runs in the ninth inning to mount an improbable comeback and register an 8-5 victory over the Cavaliers.

The Hokies, who trailed 5-3 entering the ninth inning, sent 10 batters to the plate during the comeback and got a game-winning, bases-clearing double from Buddy Sosnoskie in the process.

“That was awesome,” said Virginia Tech coach Pete Hughes. “You don’t get too many wins against a program as good as Virginia.”

The Hokies (25-13, 9-9 ACC) had more than enough help — Virginia closer Kevin Arico struck out Tim Smalling and was ahead 0-2 on Ronnie Shaban before he lost the strike zone and ultimately walked the bases loaded.

Virginia coach Brian O’Connor had seen enough, pulling the nation’s leader in saves from the contest before he had even allowed a run.

“Kevin just wasn’t getting the job done on the mound,” said Virginia coach Brian O’Connor, who watched his second-ranked team fall to 29-9 overall and 12-6 in the league. “He wasn’t commanding his pitches.”

The Cavaliers’ skipper pulled a role reversal, turning to set-up man Tyler Wilson, who earned the win Friday and the save Saturday and had logged 6.2 consecutive innings of scoreless work.

“I always want the ball,” said Wilson. “I was ready no matter what.”

It appeared that way initially as the right-hander fanned pinch hitter Anthony Sosnoskie on a 3-2 pitch.

Wilson, a junior, was in a position to do the same against Sean Ryan after jumping ahead 2-2, but Hughes asked for time and emerged from the Hokie dugout to talk to his batter.

“I wanted to slow the momentum down,” admitted Hughes, referring to the ruckus crowd of 4,219. “When you have all that stuff going on you might [lose focus].”

Wilson countered the meeting with a 2-2 fastball just above Ryan’s knees that appeared to end the contest, but home plate umpire Joe Marion did not budge.

“[Marion] called it a ball,” Wilson said. “That’s part of the game.”

Ryan walked on the following pitch, pushing across the Hokies’ first run in the ninth to make it 5-4.

That set the stage for the biggest plate appearance in Buddy Sosnoskie’s career.

The Virginia Tech sophomore fouled off four pitches after Wilson had registered two strikes before drilling a pitch that one-hopped off the wall in left.

“Last year at Duke I was in the same situation and was punched out,” he said. “My knees were shaking that time. Today I really felt like I was at a practice.”

Wilson gave up another run before he was pulled from a contest that saddled Arico (0-1) his first loss of the season.

It spoiled a successful offensive day for the Cavaliers against Virginia Tech ace Jesse Hahn.

Considered one of the top prospects in the country, Hahn allowed three runs in the first inning as Jarrett Parker singled home a run and Tyler Cannon’s double drove in two more.

Virginia Tech tied the game up in the fourth inning off UVa starter Cody Winiarski, but Parker gave the Cavaliers the advantage again in the sixth as he drove a fastball from Hahn that easily cleared the seats in left field.

“I really put a good swing on that one,” said Parker, who hit his third homer and finished with three hits. “It felt good off the bat.”

Hahn, who did not factor into the decision, struck out 10 Cavaliers in the contest but allowed seven of Virginia’s nine hits and all five runs.

“We battled Hahn, we found a way to beat him,” O’Connor said, “but we couldn’t hold on.”

Ben Rowen (3-1) worked 2.1 scoreless innings to earn the win on the mound for the Hokies.

Despite winning the series and creating a three-game separation from the Hokies in the ACC Coastal Division standings between third and fourth place (Georgia Tech and Miami are 1-2), O’Connor was unhappy with the way the weekend ended.

“Quite frankly, I am not satisfied to have won this series after taking the first two games,” he said. “We had an excellent opportunity and did not get the job done when it mattered. It will eat at us the rest of the day.

“But I reminded the team that this is one of 30 ACC games and we have some important games coming up. We will bounce back.”