Virginia Tech eliminates The Citadel with 4-2 victory to reach NCAA Columbia Regional final

Hokies eliminate Citadel to reach regional final

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Austin Wates and Buddy Sosnoskie each had two RBIs to back a solid all-around pitching performance by Virginia Tech, and the Hokies eliminated The Citadel with a 4-3 victory Sunday to reach the NCAA Columbia Regional final.

Second-seeded Virginia Tech (40-21) will play top seed South Carolina later Sunday. If the Hokies win, the same two teams will meet in the deciding game Monday night.

Wates had a RBI triple in the first inning and a run-scoring groundout in the third. Sosnoskie homered in his third straight at-bat in the regional when he connected on his 13th of the year in the second. He also homered in his final two at-bats in Saturday’s 16-7 win over Bucknell.

Starter Jesse Hahn left after the third inning with a strained right forearm, but Joe Mantiply and went 3 2-3 innings, allowing three runs on four hits to earn the win, and Ben Rowen earned his sixth save with 2 1-3 innings of two-hit work.