Bryant slugs three homers, fall to No. 14 Virginia Tech

BLACKSBURG, Va. – The Bryant University baseball team fell to No. 14 Virginia Tech, 15-8, on Sunday afternoon at English Field.

Bryant dropped the final two games of the series after winning the opener on Friday. The Bulldogs are 1-5 on the season.

Jake Gustin posted a pair of hits, while Jackson Phinney and James Myler each homered. Gavin Noriega, Gustin and Myler all scored a pair of runs. Zac Zyons homered in his first collegiate at-bat.

Game Information
No. 14 Virginia Tech 15, Bryant 8
Records: Bryant 1-5 | No. 14 Virginia Tech 5-2
Location: English Field (Blacksburg, Va.)
W|L|S: Hurney | Logan Frasier (0-2)

Key Moment

• The Hokies turned a 3-1 deficit into a 8-3 lead with a seven-run second inning. A two-run inside-the-park home run broke the 3-3 tie and was one of three home runs in the inning.             

How it Happened

• Bryant opened the scoring as Noriega singled to start the game and promptly stole second and third. Noriega then trotted home as the throw to third went into left field.
• The Hokies tied the game in the bottom of the first on a fielder's choice ground out.
• Phinney gave Bryant the lead back in the top of the second, launching a 2-2 breaking ball to dead center for a two-run home run.
• Virginia Tech responded with a seven-run second inning. A two-run double tied the game and a two-run inside-the-park home run gave the Hokies a 5-3 lead. Tech would add a solo home run and a two-run home run to take an 8-3 lead.
• Bryant got back in the game with single runs in the third and fourth inning. In the third, Gustin doubled and came around to score on a wild pitch. Myler then launched a solo home run over the scoreboard in right center in the fourth.
• Trailing 9-5, Bryant plated runs in the fifth and sixth to make it 9-7. Petosa drove in a run with an RBI single in the fifth and then was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the sixth.
• Tech got out of the jam in the sixth with just one allowed and then scored four times in the bottom of the sixth to put the game away.
• Zyons produced Bryant's final run, hammering the first pitch of his collegiate career over the right field wall in the eighth.

Stats and Game Notes

• Phinney, Myler and Zyons all homered for the Bulldogs.
• Zyons' home run came on the first pitch of his first collegiate at-bat.
• Phinney finished the weekend with a pair of home runs and four RBI.
• Myler finished the weekend 3-for-9 with three RBI, three runs scored and two stolen bases.
• Gustin posted a pair of hits. He finished the weekend 6-of-13 (.462) with three runs scored.
• Logan Frasier allowed seven runs on five hits over 1.2 innings.
• Liam LeVangie allowed two runs on two hits in 1.1 innings of relief.
• Tyler Tornberg tossed 2.0 scoreless innings of relief, striking out four.
• Kaden Hilburger tossed 0.2 scoreless innings in his collegiate debut.
• Jackson Vanesko closed the game out by retiring all four batters he faced.

Up Next
Bryant returns to Virginia next weekend, opening a three-game series at Liberty on Friday, March 3.