Virginia Tech split its weekend in Boston with a mix of offensive fireworks and late-game frustration, dropping two of three to No. 23 Boston College. After outlasting the Eagles (26-12, 11-7 ACC) in a 17-hit, 11-inning marathon to open the series, the Hokies (16-18, 7-11 ACC) fell victim to a heartbreaking walk-off pick-off at Fenway Park on Saturday and a sluggish series finale on Sunday.
Game One: Virginia Tech 9, No. 23 Boston College 8 (11 innings)
Virginia Tech opened its weekend in Brighton with an offensive explosion, racking up a season-high 17 hits to outlast No. 23 Boston College in a back-and-forth extra-inning marathon. The victory marked the third time this season the Hokies have knocked off a ranked opponent, setting a resilient tone for the series.
The scoring started almost immediately when Ethan Ball cleared the wall in the first inning, marking his seventh home run of the year. While the Eagles managed to manufacture a slim lead through the third, the Hokie bats ignited in the fourth. Following a leadoff double from Henry Cooke, Owen Petrich provided the big blow – a two-run shot that not only reclaimed the lead but also marked a significant career milestone with his 30th collegiate home run.
On the mound, Logan Eisenreich turned in his most impressive performance to date. The sophomore starter dictated the pace through five innings, setting a personal record for his longest outing while racking up six strikeouts. He finished his afternoon by retiring eight consecutive batters, supported by a solo blast from Hudson Lutterman that pushed the Tech advantage to three runs.
The bullpen faced a stiff challenge as the Eagles slowly chipped away at the lead. A two-run homer in the sixth cut the deficit to a single run, though the Hokies managed to hold a 6-4 edge heading into the final frame of regulation. Boston College refused to go quietly, utilizing consecutive doubles in the bottom of the ninth to drive in two runs and force the game into extras.
The drama intensified in the tenth when Pete Daniel drew a crucial walk and eventually scored on a sequence of base hits from Ethan Gibson and Sam Gates. However, the lead was short-lived, as the Eagles managed to tie the game once more without recording a hit, taking advantage of a wild pitch to extend the contest.
In the eleventh, Hudson Lutterman delivered the game’s defining hit, a triple into the left-field corner that brought home the go-ahead run. Pete Daniel, who finished the day with four hits, then provided essential insurance with a run-scoring single. Though the Eagles managed one last run in the bottom half, the Hokie defense locked down to secure the 9-8 win.
Game Two: No. 23 Boston College 8, Virginia Tech 7
Virginia Tech arrived at the historic grounds of Fenway Park on Saturday for the 14th annual ALS Awareness Game, and for the first few innings, it looked like the Hokies were going to turn "America’s Most Beloved Ballpark" into their own personal playground. Tech ultimately fell 8-7 to No. 23 Boston College in a contest that stayed electric until a bizarre final out.
The Hokies wasted no time making themselves at home, hanging four runs on the board before the Fenway faithful had even settled in. Henry Cooke ignited the first-inning rally with a triple, eventually scoring on a first-pitch RBI single from Hudson Lutterman. The lead widened in the second when Owen Petrich hammered a double off the Green Monster, followed immediately by the loudest moment of the weekend: Ethan Ball’s two-run blast. The freshman’s eighth home run of the year traveled 389 feet toward the legendary red seat in right field, staking Tech to a dominant 4-0 cushion.
On the mound, Brett Renfrow was a warrior, grinding through a career-high 109 pitches over six innings of work. After a dominant start that began with a three-pitch first inning, the environment eventually caught up in the fourth. A nine-man Boston College rally punctuated by Gunnar Johnson’s bases-clearing double leveled the score and erased the Hokie advantage. Even after falling behind, the defense flashed its high ceiling in the fifth, executing a complex 8-3-6-4 double play to escape a jam trailing by only one.
The later frames turned into a high-stakes chess match. Nick Locurto used aggressive baserunning to score on a wild pitch in the seventh and then delivered a 90-foot equalizer in the eighth with a two-out, two-RBI triple into the right-field corner. However, the 8-7 heartbreaker ended in a way no one expected. With the tying run on third in the ninth, a strikeout-throw-out double play saw Henry Cooke picked off at third base to abruptly seal the result.
While the ending was a gut punch, the performance at Fenway proved this lineup can dictate terms in any environment.
Game Three: No. 23 Boston College 6, Virginia Tech 2
Virginia Tech traveled back to Brighton on Sunday for a high-stakes ACC rubber match, but an early pitching struggle and a stagnant offense forced the Hokies (16-18, 7-11 ACC) to settle for a series split after a 6-2 defeat at the hands of No. 23 Boston College.
The afternoon got off to a frustrating start for the Tech offense. In the top of the first, the Hokies managed to load the bases behind a pair of infield errors, seemingly poised to strike first. However, the opportunity evaporated instantly when a sharp grounder turned into an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play. The Eagles immediately capitalized on the momentum shift, ambushing starter Griffin Stieg for three runs in the bottom half of the frame.
Stieg struggled to find his rhythm throughout the outing, lasting only three innings in what was his second-shortest start of the season. The Boston College lineup remained relentless, racking up six hits in their first ten plate appearances. A two-RBI double from Gunnar Johnson in the third inning pushed the deficit to a daunting 6-0, effectively chasing Stieg from the game after he surrendered six earned runs on eight hits.
While the early innings were rocky, Aiden Robertson provided a masterful performance out of the bullpen to keep the Hokies within striking distance. Robertson silenced the BC bats for the remainder of the game, tossing five scoreless frames and racking up five strikeouts. His stability allowed the Hokies to chip away at the lead, starting in the fourth inning when a two-out rally sparked by Ethan Gibson and Sam Gates brought home Tech's first run.
Senior catcher Henry Cooke provided a late spark in the fifth, launching a solo home run—his third of the year – to cut the lead to 6-2. Unfortunately, that blast proved to be the final meaningful blow for the Tech offense. Despite multi-hit efforts from Sam Gates and continued consistency from Owen Petrich, who doubled for the third straight game, the Hokies recorded only one more hit after the fifth inning. Boston College starter Tyler Mudd went deep into the afternoon, throwing 105 pitches over seven innings to stifling the Hokie comeback.
Virginia Tech flashed elite power and resilience to take the opener in extra innings, but a one-run heartbreaker at Fenway and an early 6-0 deficit in the finale resulted in a 2-1 series loss to the ranked Eagles.
The Hokies will look to bounce back as they return home to English Field Tuesday, April 14. They are set to host Radford with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. ET.
