Matt Gentry | The Roanoke Times

New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano (left) tags second base ahead of Virginia Tech base runner Michael Seaborn.

Matt Gentry | The Roanoke Times

The Yankees' Johnny Damon (right) pats Hokies starting pitcher Andrew Wells during the first inning of Tuesday's exhibition game.

Matt Gentry | The Roanoke Times

Virginia Tech right-fielder Jose Cueto makes a diving catch in the 7th inning off a ball hit by Yankee Wilson Betemit.

Matt Gentry | The Roanoke Times

New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter (left) looks past third base coach Bobby Meacham and at some of the spectators at English Field on Tuesday afternoon.

BLACKSBURG -- The excitement started Monday for Virginia Tech senior first baseman Sean O'Brien. The Hokies arrived at familiar English Field for practice, and a New York Yankees logo was painted on the field.

For sophomore catcher Anthony Sosnoskie, the self-proclaimed and undisputed biggest Yankee fan on the Virginia Tech baseball team, it hit Tuesday afternoon around 3 p.m. when he crouched behind home plate and Johnny Damon stepped in.

"When he walked in that box and he had those pinstripes, the adrenaline just kicked in," Sosnoskie said. "I had to keep taking deep breaths.

"I was supposed to be keeping the pitcher calm."

He couldn't. Sixth-year senior left-hander Andrew Wells made it all the way through the pregame media crush and opening ceremonies. He took his warm-up tosses and then ...

"That's when it set in, that's when reality hit," Wells said. "It was me on the mound and Johnny Damon at the plate.

"And I brushed him back -- unintentionally."

The New York Yankees donated a million dollars and brought their storied -- and expensive -- lineup to the Hokies' home field for an exhibition game to help shoulder some of the grief from the April 16 shootings on campus, and the very first pitch sailed up toward Damon's chin.

The crowd of 5,311 gasped "whoa" with a single voice.

Damon leaned back to dodge the ball.

Then, he smiled.

Smiles were the uniform Tuesday. The Yankees rapped out an 11-0 victory in the seven-inning exhibition game, but no one cared about the score.

These were the New York Yankees and they were in Blacksburg offering smiles and kind words and friendly gibes.

Sosnoskie was kidding his idol, shortstop Derek Jeter, about when he was going to bring home a 27th World Series championship for the Yankees and trying to pump Jorge Posada for tips on catching.

"He said, 'Man, I've got to hit right now,' " Sosnoskie reported. "Everybody at least said 'what's up.'"

Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez did better than that. In the fourth inning, most of the Yankees starters came out of the lineup. Most went back to their dugout, but A-Rod crossed the field and sat down in the Hokies' dugout. For three innings, the three-time American League MVP sat with the Hokies, telling stories, signing autographs and just hanging out.

Armed with wooden bats instead of their usual metal, the Hokies managed only two hits against four pitchers hoping to make the Yankees roster. With two outs in the bottom of the first, Sosnoskie took two strikes from starter Jeff Karsens then lined a hit into left-center for a single.

In the fourth, Tech outfielder Jose Cueto singled to left. Cueto also made a diving catch in right field to rob Wilson Betemit of a couple of RBIs in the seventh inning.

Michael Seaborn was the only other Hokie to get to first, reaching on a throwing error by A-Rod in the fourth.

The Hokies sent nine pitchers to the mound -- coach Pete Hughes wanted to get as many of his players in the game as he could -- but none was more excited than right-hander Rob Waskiewicz.

Waskiewicz, an Orioles fan, sat out his first two seasons at Tech thanks to elbow surgery in his freshman season and shoulder surgery in his sophomore year. He had not pitched a single inning in Tech's first 18 games. So this was his collegiate debut.

"I've worked my tail off for the last three years and got a payoff like this," Waskiewicz said. "To see Jorge Posada getting ready to dig in against me. I was just trying to throw strikes.

"Getting out on the mound, to feel that crowd. It was great."

Waskiewicz, who admitted to being "a little star-struck" was the only Hokie able to sit the Yankees' starters down in order. He got Posada and second baseman Robinson Cano to ground out and then first baseman Shelley Duncan flied out.

Wells didn't fare as well. He walked Damon on four pitches, then Jeter reached on an error by normally sure-handed O'Brien at first base.

"I was really, really mad at myself," O'Brien said. "It was nothing more than a lack of concentration."

O'Brien was a little distracted by the fact that the runner he was trying to hold at first was Damon. The current Yankee and former Red Sox star was asking where O'Brien lived and whether he was a Yankees or Red Sox fan.

With two runners already aboard, Wells walked right fielder Bobby Abreu.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi wondered aloud after the game what was going through Wells' mind when three-time MVP Alex Rodriguez stepped to the plate with the bases loaded.

"I wasn't thinking much," admitted Wells, who was thrilled to hear Girardi talking about him. "Just that I've got the bases loaded and the three-time MVP is at the plate. I just wanted to throw a strike and let him hit it and hopefully someone can catch it."

Of course, that's the same talk Wells would give himself anytime the bases were loaded, no matter who was at the plate.

That's just baseball.

"They play it at a faster pace, they're more talented, they're bigger and stronger because of all the workouts they do," Sosnoskie said. "But you still throw the ball, you still hit the ball.

"It's the same game."