Carson DeMartini hit a three-run bomb that broke the game open. (Ivan Morozov)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe freshman sent a 2-2 pitch – a cutter that was low-and-inside – over the right-center field wall. He flipped his bat, trotted around the bases and slammed the home run hammer into the turf, which extended the Hokies’ lead to 6-2. <\/span><\/p>\n\u201cI wasn’t really thinking about that at bat,\u201d DeMartini said of striking out in the third. \u201cI tried to flush it [out] as quick as possible. Striking out with the bases loaded, that’s not fun. The guys before me that led up to that at bat, they put me in the position to do that. Without those guys there, I wouldn’t have been able to hit a home run. “<\/span><\/p>\nOne batter later, Biddison followed suit, homering to left center. By that point, the Hokies led 7-1, and it felt like the game was over. And outside of the Lions pulling a run back in the eighth, it was.<\/span><\/p>\nFiroved shoved in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, finishing with 2 \u2153 innings while yielding a run and striking out five. Weycker, meanwhile, finished the job in the eighth and ninth and notched the final out, to which there was no planned celebration. Instead, all mayhem broke loose.<\/span><\/p>\nMost of the crowd stayed, close to 4,000, craning their necks, lifting their cell phones and bellowing “Enter Sandman.” They screamed until the Hokies left the field and continued to congratulate their team some more. The players met with their families, friends and strangers to celebrate, sign autographs and take pictures.<\/span><\/p>\nNick Biddison has been in Blacksburg since the beginning. (Ivan Morozov)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nBiddison, one of Szefc’s first recruits, its backbone, its leader, the player that has gone through two major surgeries, jumped up and down once he slammed Tech’s sticker on the bracket. He jumped into his teammates arms because, arguably, no one deserved the moment more than him.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cIt’s really special to win an NCAA regional,\u201d Szefc said. \u201c\u2026 I’m just so happy for our players and our coaching staff. I’m really happy particularly for Ryan Metz. Metz has been here for five years and got to start an NCAA regional championship game. Just think about that for a second. The guy is a survivor, he’s been here for a long time. Biddison has been through two shoulder surgeries and he’s lived to tell of it. “<\/span><\/p>\nThis all began in the fall, through winter workouts and on February 18 when Tech beat down UNC Asheville at English in a 14-run runaway win. That was 107 days ago. <\/span><\/p>\nSzefc wasn’t sure how his team would hold up. He didn’t know if the Hokies would stay healthy through the long season. Also, his pitching about him was unproven. There were a few mid-major transfers and some freshman talent that was unproven against ACC competition.<\/span><\/p>\nDogpile? Dogpile. (Ivan Morozov)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nAfter last year’s start and subsequent fall, it felt like this season was the year that Virginia Tech needed to take that next step in the John Szefc era. Making the NCAA Tournament seemed attainable.<\/span><\/p>\nThe Hokies exceeded all external expectations – they hosted an NCAA Regional as the nation’s No. 4 seed – becoming the story of the year in the process. But they knew they were talented. And now, college baseball is witnessing Virginia Tech’s coming out party.<\/span><\/p>\n“Being [in Blacksburg], it meant the world, \u201dBiddison said. “We could’ve won somewhere else, but I’m very glad we ended it in Blacksburg.”<\/span><\/p>\nOnly 16 teams in college baseball make it to the Super Regional around. Virginia Tech is one of them.<\/span><\/p>\nRegional Final Box Score: Virginia Tech 7, Columbia 2<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\t<\/div>\n