Virginia Tech’s pitching staff carried a no-hit bid into the seventh inning against Liberty on Wednesday and though they weren't able to finish off the no-hitter this time, they did gain a massive midweek victory 8-4.
It was that kind of night in Lynchburg — one of the Hokies' (26-21, 13-14 ACC) most complete performances of the season, delivered against a 35-win program that is firmly inside the NCAA Tournament field. Virginia Tech clinched its fifth Quadrant 1 victory of 2026, with seven different players recording hits in a balanced offensive effort that built a comfortable margin and never really let the Flames (35-14, 18-6 CUSA) breathe.
Madden Clement drew the start in his continued role as Virginia Tech's midweek arm, working two and a third scoreless innings before handing the ball to Ethan Grim. The freshman right-hander was exceptional in relief, retiring eight consecutive batters across two and two-thirds spotless frames to earn the winning decision — his second of the year.
Logan Eisenreich then handled a clean sixth before Brody Roe entered. Roe sat down the first two batters he faced before the no-hit bid finally unraveled in the seventh, when Easton Swofford singled to open the door. Five straight hits followed, capped by a bases-clearing double from Josh Campos, briefly turning a comfortable game into a 7-4 contest.
Preston Crowl entered and worked the final seven outs without surrendering another hit to close it out.
The offense had done its part long before the late drama. Sam Grube opened the game with a lead-off triple and scored on an RBI groundout from Henry Cooke to put the Hokies on the board in the first. Then, in the third, with Ethan Gibson's lead-off double setting the table, Cooke made the biggest swing of the night — a two-run home run to deep left field that pushed Virginia Tech to a 3-0 lead. It was another statement moment from the senior backstop, who is hitting .471 through four games in May and has become one of the most consistent bats in the ACC down the stretch.
Pete Daniel — hitting from the nine-hole — gave the Hokies a critical cushion in the fifth, leading off the inning with a solo home run off Liberty reliever Matt Porter. Ethan Ball added two hits and two RBIs, and Sam Gates went 2-for-5 with a pair of runs batted in. Ball added an insurance sacrifice fly deep to left in the seventh as part of a two-run frame that pushed the lead to seven before Liberty's late rally made things briefly interesting.
Virginia Tech tacked on one more in the ninth to make it 8-4.
The Hokies have now won 10 of their last 13 games, added a marquee Quad One road win to their postseason resume and done it behind some of the best pitching and defense they've shown all season.
With UNC Greensboro coming to English Field starting Saturday for a two-game series, Virginia Tech has a chance to carry the momentum of one of its best performances of the season into an extended winning streak to boost their NCAA Tournament case further.
