Virginia Tech traveled to Charlottesville over the weekend for the first installment of the Commonwealth Clash on the diamond, facing Virginia in a three-game series at Davenport Field at Disharoon Park. The ACC rivalry matchup marked another early conference test for the Hokies (9-9, 2-4 ACC) against one of the league’s strongest programs.
The Cavaliers (16-4, 4-2 ACC) ultimately claimed the series, but Tech remained competitive throughout the weekend and continued to show flashes offensively in the in-state ACC rivalry.
Game One: No. 14 Virginia 11, Virginia Tech 6
Friday night’s opener featured plenty of offense and momentum swings, but late runs from the Cavaliers ultimately proved decisive.
The Hokies struck first early in the contest. Five batters into the game, following a hit-by-pitch and an Ethan Ball single, Hudson Lutterman lined an RBI single to left field that brought Nick Locurto home from second base and gave Tech the opening lead.
Virginia answered quickly against freshman starter Ethan Grim, scoring two runs on two hits and an error in the bottom half of the inning. The Cavaliers added another run in the second when Eric Becker delivered an RBI double to left field.
Virginia held a 3–1 lead before the Hokies mounted a response in the fourth inning. Tech’s offense came alive with three straight singles to lead off the frame, setting the stage for a three-run inning that gave the Hokies a 4–3 advantage.
Grim returned for the bottom of the fourth but threw only two pitches before exiting the game with an injury. Brendan Yagesh took over in relief and allowed a single to Kyle Johnson, who moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Yagesh stranded him at second base and limited the damage by recording two strikeouts.
The Cavaliers broke through an inning later. Sam Harris reached on an Owen Petrich fielding error before Harrison Didawick followed with a single. Noah Murray then launched a three-run home run that flipped the game back in Virginia’s favor.
Virginia Tech continued to fight and again drew even in the sixth inning. Sam Gates delivered the biggest swing of the evening for the Hokies, blasting a two-run home run to tie the game and record his third RBI of the contest.
Virginia quickly responded. AJ Garcia lifted a two-run homer to deep left field – his seventh of the season – in the bottom half of the inning to put the Cavaliers back in front. Virginia added three more insurance runs in the seventh inning to extend its lead to 11-6.
Defensive struggles proved costly for Virginia Tech throughout the night. The Hokies committed a season-high four errors, leading to four unearned runs that helped fuel the Cavliers’ offense.
Gates led Virginia Tech with a homer and three RBIs, while Ball and Lutterman each recorded two hits as part of the Hokies’ seven-hit effort. Henry Cooke and Petrich also contributed hits in the rivalry matchup.
Game Two: No. 14 Virginia 10, Virginia Tech 5
Saturday afternoon saw Virginia Tech attempt to even the series, but an early offensive surge from Virginia created a deficit the Hokies were unable to overcome.
The Cavaliers jumped ahead immediately against starter Brett Renfrow. Three batters into the first inning, Joe Triolo launched a three-run home run to left field after two free passes put runners on base. Renfrow nearly escaped further damage when Treyson Hughes made a heroic diving grab in center field, but replay ruled the ball had been trapped, awarding Zach Jackson an RBI double that extended Virginia’s lead.
Virginia continued its display of power in the second inning. Jake Weatherspoon opened the frame with a solo home run before Sam Harris later added another long ball, pushing the Cavaliers’ advantage to 7-0 through two innings.
Despite the early deficit, the Hokies began to chip away in the fourth. Hudson Lutterman led off the inning with a double down the left-field line and eventually came around to score when Sam Gates dropped a bunt single in front of the mound. With two runners on base, Owen Petrich delivered the biggest swing of the inning, launching a three-run home run to left field that cut the deficit to 7-4.
Virginia answered immediately in the bottom half of the inning. AJ Gracia connected for a solo home run before Harris added his second homer of the afternoon, restoring a five-run cushion for the Cavaliers.
Lutterman responded with a solo home run in the fifth inning, pulling Virginia Tech within 9-5 by the middle of the game.
Virginia threatened to add more in the bottom of the fifth after loading the bases on three walks. Relievers Aiden Robertson and Josh Berzonski worked through the jam, limiting the damage to a single run on a sacrifice fly by Eric Becker.
Berzonski later settled the game down for the Hokies, striking out six batters across three scoreless innings of relief. He and Danny Lazaro combined to hold Virginia scoreless from the sixth inning onward.
Lutterman and Petrich each homered to lead the Hokies offensively, while Virginia starter Max Stammel worked six innings to earn the win despite allowing all five Virginia Tech runs.
With the victory, Virginia clinched the weekend series and secured the baseball point in the Commonwealth Clash.
Game Three: Virginia Tech 6, No. 14 Virginia 3
Virginia Tech responded in Sunday’s finale, leaning on a dominant start from Griffin Stieg to salvage the final game of the series.
Stieg delivered one of the Hokies’ strongest pitching performances of the season, working six innings while allowing just one run on three hits. The right-hander struck out a season-high seven batters and consistently worked out of trouble, using both strikeouts and strong defense behind him to keep the Cavaliers’ offense in check.
For the first three innings, both starting pitchers controlled the game. Virginia starter Joe Paone retired the first nine Hokies he faced, while Stieg matched him with three scoreless frames of his own.
Virginia Tech broke through in the fourth inning. Freshman Ethan Ball opened the frame with a single before Treyson Hughes drew a walk to put two runners on base. Hudson Lutterman then delivered the biggest swing of the afternoon, blasting a three-run home run over the left-field wall to give the Hokies a 3–0 lead.
Stieg protected the advantage in the bottom half of the inning, escaping a jam with two runners in scoring position by striking out Zach Jackson to end the threat.
The Hokies added to their lead in the fifth. After two early baserunners reached, Sam Grube drove a double into right field to bring home a run. Virginia Tech later tacked on two more runs in the inning on a groundout by Nick Locurto and a wild pitch, stretching the lead to 6–0.
Virginia finally broke through in the fifth when Eric Becker lifted a two-out solo home run, the only run charged to Stieg during his outing.
The Cavaliers attempted to rally later in the game. Antonio Perrotta connected for a two-run home run in the seventh inning to cut the deficit to three, but Virginia Tech’s bullpen prevented further damage.
Luke Craytor and Brody Roe combined to record key outs before Preston Crowl entered late and secured the four-out save. Crowl struck out all four batters he faced to close the game.
Virginia Tech’s pitching staff combined for 13 strikeouts while allowing just five hits. The win allowed the Hokies to avoid the sweep and finish the weekend with momentum after a challenging stretch of games away from home.
Virginia ultimately claimed the weekend series, but the Hokies avoided the sweep with a strong performance in Sunday’s finale. Behind Griffin Stieg’s six-inning start and timely offense highlighted by Hudson Lutterman’s three-run home run, Virginia Tech secured a 6–3 victory to close the weekend. The Hokies will now look to carry that momentum forward as they continue ACC play.
With the Cavaliers' victory, Virginia now leads the overall 2025-26 Commonwealth Clash, 11-4, one win away from clinching the overall rivalry.
Virginia Tech will return to action Wednesday, March 18, when the Hokies host VCU at English Field in their first game back in Blacksburg after a six-game stretch on the road. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. ET.
