Virginia Tech welcomed Rutgers (4-3) to English Field for a three-game weekend series, and after a rocky start, the Hokies responded in a big way. What began as a humbling Friday turned into a resilient series win, as Tech took the final two games to win the series and move to 6-1 on the season.
Game One: Rutgers 16, Virginia Tech 1
Friday belonged entirely to the Scarlet Knights.
Rutgers got on the board first when a run scored off of a balk by right-handed starter Brett Renfrow. The Hokies answered right back when freshman Ethan Ball launched a 407-foot solo homer to center, his first collegiate home run, tying the game at 1. That would be the only real offensive highlight for Tech.
The Scarlet Knights regained the lead in the third on a 424-foot solo shot from Charlie Meglio. They then broke the game open in the fifth. Meglio crushed a three-run homer to left as part of a three-run frame that stretched the lead to 5-1. He finished with two home runs and seven RBIs, leading the Rutgers offense.
The seventh inning added more damage, as the Scarlet Knights added on three runs. The eighth completely tilted the scoreboard. Rutgers scored eight runs in the top of the eighth, stringing together walks and base hits to completely blow the game open.
Rutgers totaled 17 hits and went 8-18 with runners in scoring position. The Hokies managed just seven hits and went 0-10 with RISP, stranding 11 runners on base. What started as a 1-1 ball game early quickly turned into a runaway 16-1 victory in favor of the Scarlet Knights.
Much of that disparity stemmed from what happened on the mound. Renfrow gave Tech three innings, allowing two runs and one earned run, while striking out five before handing the ball over to Preston Crowl. Crowl was unable to slow the Rutgers lineup, surrendering six earned runs across three innings as the Scarlet Knights consistently barreled balls with two outs. Rutgers had five two-out RBIs, a sign of how little breathing room the Hokies had once traffic reached base.
“We just got completely boat-raced in our home park on a Friday night,” said Tech head coach John Szefc.
Game Two: Virginia Tech 9, Rutgers 8 (10 innings)
Saturday flipped the script.
Rutgers struck first once again, pushing across two runs in the opening frame. Peyton Bonds, the nephew of MLB all-time home run leader Barry Bonds, singled, and Chase Krewson followed with a hit. A double play brought home the first run, and a Tech error allowed another to score, giving the Scarlet Knights a 2-0 lead.
The Hokies answered immediately. Sam Grube and Owen Petrich opened the bottom of the first with back-to-back singles. After a throwing error on a failed pickoff attempt moved both runners into scoring position, Anderson French delivered a two-run single to right, tying the game at two a piece
Rutgers gained control again in the third. Charlie Meglio doubled, Trey Wells followed with an RBI double and a Yomar Carreras sacrifice fly extended the lead to 4-2. The back-and-forth nature of the afternoon was set.
Right-handed starter Griffin Stieg battled through 4.1 innings, allowing seven hits, four runs, three of which were earned. Chase Swift steadied things in relief, striking out six across 2.2 innings.
In the fifth, Grube ignited the comeback with a 399-foot solo shot to right, trimming the deficit to one. Rutgers added another run in the sixth when Ryan Jaros launched a solo home run to left center, stretching the lead to 5-3.
The game remained tense into the ninth. Down 5-3 entering the bottom half, Virginia Tech needed a spark.
They got it from their most consistent bat of the day.
Grube doubled to right-center to start the rally. Petrich followed with an RBI single to pull the Hokies within one. Ethan Ball and Sam Gates worked walks, and then French drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game at 5.
Extra innings brought even more drama. In the top of the tenth, Rutgers loaded the bases with two singles and a walk. A bases-loaded walk forced in a run, another walk brought home a second, and a wild pitch allowed a third to score, giving the Scarlet Knights an 8-5 lead.
The bottom half delivered the defining sequence of the weekend.
Hudson Lutterman crushed a leadoff homer to left to cut the deficit to two. Sam Grube followed with a 407-foot blast to right-center, his second home run of the game, pulling the Hokies within one.
Nick Locurto then worked a full-count walk, bringing the winning run to the plate. Ethan Ball stepped in and drove a slider deep to center field for a two-run walk-off homer, sealing a 9-8 victory in a four-hour battle at English Field.
Game Three: Virginia Tech 4, Rutgers 3
Coming off of a walk-off win, the Hokies carried that momentum into the rubber match.
After two scoreless innings, Virginia Tech struck first for the first time this season, in the third inning. Hudson Lutterman reached and later scored when Ball lined an RBI single through the left side to give the Hokies a 1-0 lead.
Rutgers answered in the fourth. Matt Chatelle drew a walk, Ryan Jaros doubled down the left field line to tie it and Quinten Perilli followed with another RBI double to give the Scarlet Knights a 2-1 advantage.
The Hokies responded immediately in the bottom half. Sam Gates singled to spark the inning. After Anderson French and Pete Daniel reached, Treyson Hughes ripped an RBI double to left to tie the game. Lutterman followed with a run-scoring single to center, and Grube executed a sacrifice bunt that brought home another run, flipping the score to 4-2.
Rutgers trimmed the lead to 4-3 in the fifth on an RBI double from Trey Wells, but that was the final run the Scarlet Knights would plate.
From there, the pitching staff closed the door. Starter Ethan Grim struck out six in 3.2 innings before Peyton Smith picked up the win in relief. Brendan Yagesh bridged the middle innings and Luke Craytor tossed 3.2 scoreless frames with four strikeouts to secure the 11-out save.
Virginia Tech did not overpower Rutgers on Sunday. They executed. Timely hitting in the fourth inning and clean relief work down the stretch were enough to secure the series-clinching 4-3 victory.
The Hokies will travel to Harrisonburg to face James Madison University on Tuesday, Feb. 24, with a first pitch time of 3 p.m. ET.
