April 5, 2022

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April 5, 2022

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BY TRAVIS ALABANZA

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PAGE 2 April 5, 2022

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NEWS

UFM holds annual Take Back the Night protest Virginia Tech and Blacksburg rallied against gender-based violence in the annual march.

CAROLINE BODA news writer

Hundreds of Virginia Tech students gathered in the Graduate Life Center auditorium for the annual Take Back the Night Rally on March 31 before m a r ch i ng t h r o ug h campus and downtown Blacksburg. Attendees also included faculty and staff, members of the Blacksburg community and local officials.

Take Back the Night is an international nonprofit organization that seeks to end gender-based violence. Take Back the Night rallies are held in communities all over the world each year, where individuals gather together to march against sexual, relationship and domestic violence. According to Susan Anderson, t he Un ited Fem i n ist Movement’s (UFM) faculty advisor and vice mayor

of Blacksburg, this annual event came to Virginia Tech in 1990 and has taken place on campus each year since then, except 2020 and 2021 due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

The evening began with a rally indoors, which included speeches from UFM’s leadership and representatives of various local and campus initiatives. Survivors of gender-based violence then shared personal testimonies, and attendees participated in a moment of silence.

Blacksburg Mayor Leslie Hager-Smith shared how she was impacted by hearing the stories of individuals who have been directly impacted by Take Back the Night’s cause.

“There is a lot of tenderness and bravery on display each year when this rally takes place,” Hager-Smith said. “I’m floored by the bravery it takes to get up there and talk. To get up and share this kind of trauma is very impressive, but

it also brings it to life.”

Virginia Tech faculty and staff were also present on Thursday evening.

“Take Back the Night is a powerful opportunity and experience to hear the stories of survivors and community members who have been impacted by sexual or any form of gender-based violence,” said Byron Hughes, the dean of students. “I appreciate what they do for our community, and I hope that we can do more to support them.”

After the rally indoors, attendees lit hand-held candles and gathered outside. With survivors of gender-based violence leading, more than 100 individuals marched through Virginia Tech’s campus and downtown Blacksburg carrying signs holding messages and chanting together. One chorus heard repeatedly from the crowd was, “What do you want? Safe campus! When do you want it?

Now!” UFM’s larger goal in hosting the Take Back the Night Rally at Virginia Tech is to cause changes in policy at the university level and enact social change among students on campus, which they hope will ultimately end genderbased violence altogether. UFM has worked toward this goal for many years but feels there is still significant progress to be made.

“We know this is a really big issue among students, and we want to keep pressuring administration for transparency and accountability on this issue.

UFM, for years, has been a consistent voice speaking out against the problem of gender-based violence and sexual violence on our campus,” said junior Carolina Bell, the president of UFM’s chapter at Virginia Tech.

Bell went on to talk about the impact she hopes will be made from Thursday evening’s rally and march.

“For tonight, I hope we’re able to create an environment that supports survivors, and (that) our community can come together — faculty, students, staff, community members of Blacksburg, and administrators — and say, ‘We stand against gender-based violence, and we’re here to support the survivors and do better in our own community,’” Bell said.

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MORGAN WILLIAMS / COLLEGIATE TIMES Students, faculty and local community members march during the night from campus to downtown Blacksburg, March 31, 2022.

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OPINIONS V

Video games: The new age of art

With visuals that stun and scripts that spark emotion, it is nearly impossible to deny that video games are an art form.

ideo games are nothing more than an interactive medium designed to take up hours of a person’s life — or are they? Upon first glance, labeling video games as an art form might seem preposterous.

However, games have become more complex than they have ever been, and are continuing to become more intricate. Video games have always been an expression of a developer’s vision. Moreover, given the complexity of video games, with many games achieving scripts that rival those made for cinema and including increasingly more detailed visuals, video games are undoubtedly an art form — if not the art of this generation.

The development of video games within the past decade alone has increased in complexity tenfold. Video games have developed to a point where everyone, gamer or not, can find something to appreciate and admire. There are games with stunning visuals that can cause one’s jaw to drop. There are scripts and gameplay that can cause one to be immersed for hours. There are narratives that can cause human emotions to bubble to the surface.

Wallace Lages, an assistant professor in the Creative Technologies program, described how video games could become

an emerging art form.

“There are different forms, purposes and expressions of art. Video games have, or can be, used as a medium for all these purposes,” Lages said. “For example, there are video games that engage in social inquiry, that explore visual aesthetics or that express the supreme mastery of the medium.”

Some games beautifully include all of these factors and more within their own boundaries.

In an interview with the officers of the Gaming Project, an organization at Virginia Tech that seeks to bring people together in creating video games and redefine the medium for its participants, the general consensus was that all games are art. Regardless of whether it be an indie game (games developed by a small group of people), a AAA game (largescale games developed by companies with large budgets and groups of people), or even a cheap, microtransaction-heavy mobile game, all games have a developer — an artist at the start.

Moreover, video games have become more than just enjoyment for children to partake in.

The medium has now grown to also include deep real-world philosophical questions

VICTORIA CARTER / COLLEGIATE TIMES Micki Gregory plays a game on his PS4, March 31, 2019.

and themes. This arguably started with the BioShock series, which introduced a narrative and world-building that hinges on the fallacies of rampant capitalism and religious extremism.

Furthermore, according to statistica.com, nearly half of U.S. video game consumers are over the age of 35, so it’s not just kids who are playing these games, but fully-grown adults who are capable of appreciating art in all its forms.

The sheer number of people that play leads to a rather beautiful effect. Rather than people looking at the same piece of art or listening to the same piece of music, each person can have a different experience playing a video game — as people do with more classic examples of art pieces. This is even the case in linear games (games that feature a linear narrative with relatively closed maps so that players all play the same story) as well, because players can find certain stages more complex than others and die at different moments. The interactiveness is arguably one of video games’ unintended artistic effects.

“Some arguments for that are based on the fact that games are different from classical art because they are interactive and have rules,” Lages said on the topic of people not accepting video games as art. “Others argue that video games are not to the level of existing masterpieces of literature or visual arts. However, most of these arguments could also be applied to cinema and interactive art not a long time ago.”

Another, arguably more prevalent reason why video games are not typically considered art would be the interference of companies and executives. Making a game is a long and tedious process, especially when large groups of developers are involved. Those developers have to deal with resource issues, time constraints and directional changes placed upon them by their executives. Companies have to navigate a line between artistic expression and realistic profit. This can often distort the product and cause issues with the product itself; an example of this can be seen in the development of Cyberpunk 2077 with the switch from third to first

person mid-production and the 2018 gameplay demo scam. It can be hard to experience a buggy, issue-ridden game and consider it art.

Ben Altermatt, a sophomore studying computer science and vice president of the Gaming Project, provided some insight regarding the topic of executives and companies negatively influencing production.

“Games can be perverted, but are ultimately still seen as art,” Altermatt said.

Behind every single video game in circulation, there was a developer or team of developers with a vision. And the resulting product, no matter how close it was to the vision or not and regardless of any technical issues, is still an expression of the developers’ vision for the world to enjoy.

Given the vast reach that the video game industry has to consumers, it would be unreasonable to assume having a background in computer programming or game design is necessary for a user to appreciate the artistic value of a game.

“It is possible to appreciate a sculpture without the knowledge of the tools and processes used by the sculptor,” Lages said. “The same is true for video games.”

This sentiment was also shared by the Gaming Project officers. The officers explained how having a background in computer science could allow one to feel more sympathetic to developers or to understand the complexity of an asset or game mechanic, but the artistic value can be appreciated across all demographics.

There are obviously aspects of video games that lend themselves to being considered an art form. However, at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter if everyone perceives video games as art at all. Some of today’s more modern art is criticized and its artistry might even be debated, but as long as someone finds artistic value in the game, then it is art.

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April 5, 2022 PAGE 5

LIFESTYLES

Magnetic looks stun at this year’s Virginia Tech Fashion Show The Fashion Merchandising and Design Society put a striking spin on neoclassical clothing Saturday night.

MOLLY DYE lifestyles editor

A gold-painted chest, a denim tube top and a navy blue ball gown: These are some of the eclectic arrangements the audience saw Saturday night at the neoclassical-themed Virginia Tech Fashion Show.

Organized by the Fashion Merchandising and Design Society (FMDS), everything on the runway depicted nothing less than charisma and allure from head to toe.

The show was a culmination of work from over 75 students, stemming from the ideas of FMDS President Grace Hedge, a senior majoring in fashion merchandising and design, and fashion show coordinator Sophie McMahon, a senior majoring in marketing management. Back in 2019, Hedge and McMahon decided that if they ever got the opportunity, they wanted to do a show that emphasized classic looks with a modern twist.

Before the show, McMahon and Hedge explained their vision for the show. While

McMahon was inspired by the traditional looks like the little black dress, Hedge said that she has always loved classy black and white looks.

Hedge additionally emphasized that confidence and personality is what makes fashion and style stand out to the crowd.

She later expanded on how her confidence is what got her into fashion.

“I would say I’m a very confident person, and, so, a lot of my confidence I show through my clothing and what I wear,” Hedge said. “That’s the reason I got into fashion. I want others to feel that way, because, I think, in our society, it’s so normalized to be insecure … I want to share that confidence and how you can do whatever you want to do and be whoever you want to be. You can do that through your clothing.”

The show started off with a bang — head model Ethan Miller, a senior in architecture, walked with a bare chest painted in metallic gold, equipped with feathery wings and designer Maeve

HAMAD ALHENDI / COLLEGIATE TIMES The first Sophia-Grace Fashion Award winner and his model, April 2, 2022.

Collins’ signature purple bag.

Collins, a senior majoring in industrial design, discussed her inspiration for Miller’s look.

“I definitely have an obsession with gold,” Collins said. “I like things to be extravagant and attract attention, and I feel like with bags and accessories, that’s their purpose. … I feel like what I make needs to be flashy, unique — and, I feel like that’s kind of my personality, too, because I’m more outgoing. … All my work … always kind of (has) an aspect of religious art.”

Collins designed three pieces in the show and modeled for one of them. She described what it was like to watch models walk in her designs and walk the runway herself.

“When I saw Ethan walk out — and I was just so excited to paint him gold — I couldn’t help but just sit there and smile,” Collins said.

Models continued to strut the runway, with a majority of black, red and white looks. Several models sported designs involving heavy patchwork; one jacket read “Protect Queer Youth” on the back.

The audience couldn’t help but react to the engaging gestures models made when they reached the end of the runway.

Model Jillian Krinsky, a junior major ing in envi ronmental policy and planning, walked out in a denim two-piece outfit almost reminiscent of Britney Spears’ iconic denim dress from 2001. She described how she enjoyed working with the neoclassical theme.

“Neoclassical really is anything that you want it to be,” Krinsky said. “You can go really on the large scale of what you want to do. I think that really shows the variety of designs and the strengths of different designers.”

Krinsky also emphasized the level of participation and planning that went into the show and how she felt walking the runway.

“Every ounce of preparation is worth

it, just to make sure everything runs smoothly and everyone does what they need to do,” Krinsky said. “I’ve never done any type of fashion walk like this ever, so, I mean, I was sweating; my heart was beating. I think when you really get up there, it’s so easy to forget and it was so much fun.”

As the models finished their walks, the audience voted on their favorite look — the winner was a navy blue two-piece set with flowy pants and a yellow corset covered with an asymmetrical blue top, designed by mathematics student Mason Beahr.

According to Hedge, each outfit in the show had at least one piece made from scratch – a majority had several. She expressed how impressed she was with all the designers, particularly because many of them had never designed before this year.

While reflecting on the show, Hedge described her experience with FMDS, having been a member of the club since her freshman year.

“I remember, freshman year, I went to my first-ever FMDS meeting and I remember that the president was sitting in the front of the room like she normally does,” Hedge said. “I remember sitting there feeling like, ‘I really one day want to be president.’ … Not only have I grown as a person from freshman to senior year, but now I’ve gotten the club to grow.”

Not only does the club put on a yearly fashion show, but they also hold creative events like painting nights, panels such as resume workshops and talks from professionals in the fashion industry.

During Hedge’s first year with the club, in the 2018–19 academic year, the FMDS Fashion Show reached around 600 audience members. As treasurer during her sophomore year, the club abruptly canceled the show due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The following year, Hedge continued on page 6

PAGE 6 April 5, 2022 continued from page 5

helped run the show online, garnering around 150 viewers. Hedge explained how the pandemic impacted membership and club awareness.

“I remember, at GobblerFest, we had a booth there, and I was talking to these fashion freshmen, and they were like, ‘We’ve never heard of your club,’” Hedge said. “In the past, every single freshman that was in the fashion major was dying to get into our club and get involved. It’s been hard to get that back up again. … Students have gotten really used to two years of not

collegiatetimes.com really being involved in clubs.”

Despite the setback COVID-19 put on clubs like FMDS, this year’s show sold over 250 tickets; every spot in the Squires Commonwealth Ballroom was filled, and audience members were glued to their seats.

Looking forward to the future of FMDS, Hedge and McMahon announced at the end of the show their plans to set up the Sophie-Grace Fan Favorite Award.

Hedge later explained what she envisions for this project.

“I’m very excited about this,” Hedge said. “Freshman year is when it started.

In order to get the audience involved, they came up with a contest to have the audience vote on their favorite look.

Sophie and I knew we wanted to do that again this year. … We want the fashion major at Virginia Tech and the FMDS club to continue and get even bigger and better at Tech. … What we’re hoping is that in the future when Sophie and I are in our careers and probably making good money one day, we want to turn it into a $1,000 scholarship in the future that each year, the designer who wins, … we want to give them a check for a $1,000 scholarship to put toward their education, whether

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that is in fashion or if it’s not.”

On a final note, Hedge expressed what the success of the show meant to her.

“Sophie and I were so proud last night,” Hedge said. “We had put so much work, sweat and tears into this show. We were very happy with how it went. … We have seen this club and seen this show so many times and this is our year to be in charge and run it and just see its success. It’s very meaningful to us.”

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Two-man band Sweet Bahs brings beach pop to Blacksburg Grady Burton and Mikey Muth discuss their evolutions as artists since their band’s creation in 2019.

LEEANNA DUONG lifestyles contributor

If you’re looking for a sweet new summertime sound, let me introduce you to Blacksburg’s own Sweet Bahs.

The band’s name, Sweet Bahs, originated from their mutual friend Thomas Hayes, who often used the slang term “bahs’’ instead of “boys” or “bro.” The members thought adding “sweet” in front of “bahs” sounded cool, and so Sweet Bahs was created.

“We can pretend the name is really met aphor ica l,” sa id M i key Mut h, member of Sweet Bahs and a fourth year majoring in marketing management.

Sweet Bahs, pronounced bah-s, is a two-man band formed by Muth and fourth-year architecture student Grady Burton. After the duo met their freshman year of college, they clicked over their shared passion for music and similar tastes. Artists such as Jack Johnson really brought them together. After Muth learned how to record and produce music in 2019, the two have been making music together ever since.

Sweet Bahs describe themselves as having a “beach pop” sound, and they find inspiration from virtually every sound that meets their ears. They’ve released one record, “Blue Eyes, Blue Skies,”an EP titled “Bloom” and a handful of singles.

“Our new stuff has (a) wide range, lots of colors and textures,” Muth said.

Genres like R&B and jazz are the band’s current biggest inspirations, and artists like Still Woozy, Dominic Fike and Mac DeMarco have had much influence on their style. The two are not only vocalists, but also play a wide variety

of instruments, such as piano, guitar, synth, saxophone and others.

Although he knows how to play multiple instruments, Burton explained how piano is the most versatile instrument when it comes to creating tunes and melodies for songs.

“Piano is really helpful ’cause it’s like you can play anything you want,” Burton said.

Even while having a variety of influences, the two have learned a lot about music on their own.

“It’s hard but it’s really fun to make music out of nothing,” Burton said.

“It’s similar to architecture. It’s like art; creating stuff is really fun and it’s something I really like to do.”

Muth explained how he believes in going with the flow rather than trying to force a specific product out of a writing or recording session. As a result of this, Muth has created some interesting musical combinations, such as adding acoustic guitar in the middle of an electric ’80s sounding techno-beat.

“I think the best stuff just comes from creating and not having an idea of where you want it to go,” Muth said.

You can hear the creative flow in the band’s music, too; the track “Rosè” compared to “Simpler Times” shows a drastic difference in subject matters.

While “Rosè” is a light, boppy tune about taking time to relax, “Simpler Times” is a more melancholy piano ballad about nostalgia.

On their upcoming album, the band said that they’re incorporating a new feel with styles they haven’t experimented with before.

“The new stuff I think is going to surprise people, because people know us for that

COURTESY OF SWEET BAHS Sweet Bahs members Grady Burton and Mikey Muth in the WUVT studio.

summery sound, but I think we get a lot more depth in range and textures in the new album,” Muth said.

Along with their musical evolution, the two have also noticed their own evolution as artists. Before Sweet Bahs, Burton said he never considered himself a singer outside of singing in his car. But when he came to Virginia Tech, Burton’s talent was recognized by those around him and he’s seen a noticeable improvement himself.

“The happier you are and the better you set off in your day to day life, the more creative you’re going to be and the better you’re going to be at the stuff you do,” Burton said.

Muth, who has played piano since the age of seven and guitar for over 10 years, mentioned that he is extremely thankful for the musical background he grew up with. The skills Muth developed over time have helped him explore

the world of music recording and music production.

“Music is my favorite thing ever,” Muth said. “I was always into music, but the songwriting process and creating is the most therapeutic thing ever and there’s nothing like the feeling of making a song.”

Sweet Bahs’ new album will be coming out sometime this summer; until then, you can hear the evolution of Sweet Bahs’ sound for yourself on all music streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and Bandcamp.

You can stay updated with Sweet Bahs on their Instagram and TikTok accounts.

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April 5, 2022 PAGE 7

From Mediterranean dig sites to Henderson Hall, SOVA interim director shares appreciation for art

Ann-Marie Knoblauch explains how her love for art and archaeology weaves through her research, curricula and student advising at Virginia Tech.

ANTHONY CUSAT lifestyles staff writer

From excavating the Agora in Athens to excavating her students’ love of art, Ann-Marie Knoblauch has an infectious passion for all things art. On top of her vast experience on the dig sites of Greece and Cyprus, Knoblauch serves as an associate professor of art history and as the current interim director of Virginia Tech’s School of Visual Arts (SOVA).

Before her time at SOVA, Knoblauch said her passion for art stemmed from her youth. In regards to her early life, Knoblauch acknowledged her parents and teachers as motivating factors in her pursuit of art knowledge.

“I had outstanding teachers when I was in high school and when I was in college,” Knoblauch said. “They really inspired me to pursue learning more about stuff I was enjoying learning more about.”

Although Knoblauch’s love for the subject of art seems innate, she also cited her family as an influential part of the journey she is on today. “I come from a family that, really, my entire life was about valuing the arts,” Knoblauch said.

“Obviously, I work on stuff that is very ancient,

but I have siblings and family members who are contemporary artists, and so I kind of see a little bit of both worlds.”

In her resea rch, K noblauch is committed to articulating the voices of non-Athenian non-male people who lived in the Mediterranean.

“Not only is the study of the ancient world just about the dominant voices of the Athenians who were winning wars and whatnot, but people have become much more interested in the nondominant voices,” Knoblauch said in reference to the field of Mediterranean studies.

Knoblauch continued to explain that underrepresented groups like women did not have the chance to write the history books and were often left out of historical narratives.

“We’re asking different questions to get at what were those experiences like for women, for non-Athenians and for what the Greeks called barbarians … If we start engaging in the ancient questions that allow us to shed light on more diverse voices, then we can attract others into our discipline today,” she said.

As for her most exciting moment in the field, Knoblauch described being lowered into a well 18 feet below the surface of the Athenian Agora

and lifting up piles of pottery for an hour as her colleagues yelled in excitement.

“It was so much fun to be down there, but just as much fun to go up and see what I had been pulling out of this well,” Knoblauch said.

Despite the crazy experiences she has had throughout the world, Knoblauch said she is humbled and grateful to be able to talk about the subjects she loves with students. “How lucky am I that I get to wake up every morning, walk into a classroom of a captive audience of students and talk for 75 minutes about something that I’m passionate about?”

Knoblauch said. “Like, how many people get to do that in their lives?”

As the interim director of SOVA, Knoblauch also loves to be the person to connect with students and find them opportunities. Whether it is tweaking schedules or getting students in contact with other people, Knoblauch finds joy in being a person who can elevate others.

When asked about what she would say to students who want to travel on a similar path, Knoblauch gave two pieces of advice.

Knoblauch’s first and most practical piece of advice for becoming a Mediterranean

archaeologist is to learn languages, since Knoblauch said Greek and Latin are two examples of languages she had to pass exams in and are utilized by those looking to teach or go to graduate school. However, Knoblauch’s second piece of advice is applicable to any person and any major and comes from her father.

“Take time in college to study what you’re passionate about,” Knoblauch said. “College is this really wonderful and unique opportunity to explore.”

This same advice is part of the reason why Knoblauch loves teaching at Virginia Tech. She loves being a part of a student’s journey when they learn about a topic they’ve always wanted to dive deeper into.

“This is the time when the world is your oyster, and don’t miss out on an opportunity to learn about the incredible variety of classes and topics and disciplines,” Knoblauch said.

If there is one thing to take away from Knoblauch’s words, it is that we should not shy away from opportunities to learn. That passion might land you a job excavating the ancient ruins of Athens, just like Knoblauch.

HOKIE PRIDE WEEK SCHEDULE

ANTHONY CUSAT / COLLEGIATE TIMES The School of Visual Arts building, March 30, 2022.

PAGE 8 April 5, 2022

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SPORTS

Boston College routs Virginia Tech in weekend clash Virginia Tech women’s lacrosse couldn’t get back to its winning ways against the Eagles.

RYAN DUVALL sports staff writer

Following last weekend’s loss to No. 1 North Carolina, things were looking bleak for the Virginia Tech women’s lacrosse team.

The Hokies had fallen out of the top 25 Inside Lacrosse rankings and dropped to 2–3 in conference play.

A Saturday contest against No. 2 Boston College (11–1, 4–1 ACC) certainly didn’t help Tech’s morale, as the Eagles soared past the Hokies (8–6, 2–4 ACC) 18–8.

With double-digit losses in each of its past three ACC games, it appears that Virginia Tech has hit a wall. Then again, it’s never going to be

easy when you have to face three of the top four teams in the country (North Carolina, Boston College, Syracuse) in consecutive weeks.

Nonetheless, Boston College dominated this game through and through.

The Eagles had an absurd first half, scoring 10 of the first 11 goals.

Graduate student Charlotte North was the catalyst of the Boston College offense, as she scored seven total goals, including a hat-trick over the course of the 13:26 mark to the 9:57 mark in the first quarter.

North has been a big problem for the Hokies through her illustrious career.

The reigning Tewaaraton Award winner poured 10 of her 94 2021 goals on Tech in their bout last season.

The huge first half from North along with some help from sophomore m id f ield e r A n nab el le Ha ss elb e ck (daughter of BC and NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck), gave the Eagles a 13–5 lead at half.

The second half was a bit quiet in comparison to the high-scoring first half, as the two squads combined for eight goals, with Boston College taking a 5–3 advantage.

Despite the tough loss, there were some bright spots for Virginia Tech. Sophie Student and Olivia Vergano led the team in goals with four and two, respectively.

The sophomore and freshman are both top three on the team in scoring, having

combined for 62 goals in 2021, while graduate student and program legend Sarah Lubnow leads the team with 33.

Student and Vergano have each shown they will be centerpieces in the future of Virginia Tech lacrosse, shining through a season that has included the highest of highs and the lowest of lows for the Hokies.

Tech will look to get back to its winning ways this Thursday at Thompson Field, when the No. 7 Duke Blue Devils come to town for the penultimate ACC match of 2022. @CTSportsTalk

Baseball takes two games in Chapel Hill to upset No. 18 North Carolina

The Hokies have won seven of their last eight games, making them a possible contender for the ACC Coastal Division.

COLBY TALLEY sports staff writer

Something about this weekend’s series between Virginia Tech (17–7, 5–5 ACC) and No. 18 North Carolina (20–8, 6–6 ACC) just felt familiar.

Perhaps it reminded people of the series they played last season in Blacksburg.

Back then, the Hokies dominated offensively in Game 1, clinched the series with a closer win in Game 2 and ended the series with a loss that allowed the Tar Heels to walk away with some pride.

This weekend, around a year later in a different ballpark, that pattern more or less repeated itself.

The Hokies jump-started Game 1 with back-to-back solo home runs from Gavin Cross and Tanner Schobel. Then, as if doing it once was improbable enough, the pair came back in the top of the fourth and went back to back again to give the Hokies a comfortable 6–0 lead.

Cross and Schobel finished Game 1 with a combined five hits, five RBIs and six runs scored.

The Hokies continued pouring on runs, eventually culminating in a three-run home run from Pennsylvania-transfer Eduardo Malinowski that put them up 12–1.

The Hokies have shown they can hit with the best teams in the ACC to this point in the season, but what the lineup managed to do against the Tar Heels’ Game 1 starter, Connor Bovair, makes their performance even more impressive.

Bovair, the ace of a Tar Heel’s bullpen that ranks second in the conference team pitching, gave up eight hits, six earned runs and two walks in only 3.2 innings, easily his weakest start of the season.

Game 2 started off as more of the same for the Hokies as RBI-walks from Cross and catcher Cade Hunter highlighted a three-run third inning that kicked off the scoring.

While the Hokies never pulled away like in Game 1, they did manage to once again keep the Tar Heels at arm’s length as they sealed the series win with another victory, 7–3.

A big factor in the Hokies’ two wins

was their pitching. As the season has progressed, no one has ever been able to tell which version of the Hokies’ bullpen we would see on any given day. Would we see the one that held Pittsburgh to one run, or the one that gave up 11 runs to Wright State?

Luckily for the Hokies in the first two games, we saw a lot of the former. The highlight performance goes to the Hokies’ Game 2 starter, Drue Hackenberg, a freshman who has made his way into the weekend rotation and who gave up only two hits on four runs in six innings.

Game 3 once again started well for the Hokies, who took a 3–0 lead in the second inning courtesy of home runs from Carson DeMartini and Christian Martin.

Unfortunately for the Hokies, the Tar Heels finally breached the dam as catcher Eric Grintz and Vance Honeycutt combined for seven RBIs, including a pair of two-RBI doubles, to give the home squad a 6–4 advantage, its first of the series.

Grintz would hit a homer in the fifth inning to finish his day with three hits,

two runs scored and four RBIs while Honeycutt finished with one hit, one walk and three RBIs. The Hokies continued to knock on the door up until the sixth inning, where UNC expanded its lead with a three-run burst, highlighted by a two-run home run from infielder Hunter Stokely. It was the final push the Tar Heels needed to eventually take the 10–6 salvage operation victory.

With yet another series win over a ranked opponent, Virginia Tech is slowly beginning to establish themselves an emerging contender in the ACC Coastal Division.

We know Virginia Tech can hit, but can it pitch like it did in Games 1 and 2 consistently, or will we see more of what we saw in Game 3 on Sunday?

@CTSportsTalk