Virginia Tech took advantage of VCU’s mistakes and delivered timely swings when it mattered most, using a pair of momentum-shifting innings to win an 11-8 back-and-forth contest Wednesday afternoon at English Field.
The Hokies (10-9, 2-4 ACC) struck first behind Hudson Lutterman, who led off the second inning with a solo home run – his team-leading fifth of the season – to left field to give Tech an early 1-0 advantage. It was a clean start on both sides for the Hokies, with starter Chase Swift tossing two scoreless innings and striking out four before exiting the game due to an injury while warming up to pitch the third inning.
Swift’s unexpected departure forced Tech to lean on its bullpen earlier than planned. That shift showed in the fourth. The Rams (11-9, 3-0 A-10) broke through against Hokie relievers, Josh Berzonski and Luke Craytor, stringing together quality at-bats to plate four runs. Teige Lethert and Nick Flores each delivered two RBI singles, flipping a low-scoring game into a 4-1 VCU lead and putting Tech on its heels for the first time all afternoon.
However, the Hokies' response was immediate and game-altering. With two outs in the bottom half of the fourth, what looked like a routine inning-ending play instead extended the inning after a throwing error by second baseman Alec Warden. Tech took full advantage. Treyson Hughes worked a walk to load the bases, bringing Sam Grube to the plate in the biggest at-bat of the contest. On a 1-1 count, Grube turned and launched his first career collegiate grand slam to left, instantly erasing the deficit and giving the Hokies a 5-4 lead.
The Rams answered again in the fifth, as Michael Petite crushed a solo homer 450 feet to left center to even the score once more, continuing a stretch where neither side could maintain control.
That changed in the sixth – and again, it came down to capitalizing on mistakes.
Virginia Tech showed patience at the plate, loading the bases with a combination of a hit batter, a single and a walk. Nick Locurto drew a bases-loaded walk to push across the go-ahead run, but the inning’s defining moment came just two batters later. VCU reliever Cade Dressler induced a first-pitch pop-up from Sam Gates for the second out. With two outs and a chance to escape the jam, Dressler induced a second fly ball against Lutterman that should have ended the inning. Instead, it was misplayed in the outfield, dropping for a three-run error that broke the game open and gave the Hokies a 9-5 cushion.
Even then, the Rams refused to fold. Virginia Tech gave some of it back in the seventh, committing a defensive miscue that opened the door for VCU to plate three runs and cut the deficit to 9-8. The pressure mounted quickly, with the Rams putting together four hits in the inning and threatening to complete the comeback. Hokie reliever Danny Lazaro stranded two runners in scoring position to end the threat.
Virginia Tech created separation in the eighth with two critical insurance runs. Willie Hurt came through with an RBI single, and Pete Daniel followed with another base hit to extend the lead to 11-8, giving the Hokies breathing room heading into the final frame.
Daniel turned in one of his best performances in a Tech uniform, going 3-for-5 at the plate and consistently setting the table. Grube hit the Hokies’ first grand slam of the season, while Lutterman added two hits and the early home run. As a team, Tech finished with 10 hits and five walks, doing most of its damage in extended innings.
The numbers tell the story of how this game was won. Virginia Tech was outhit 12-10 and committed an error of its own, while VCU consistently put runners on base throughout the afternoon. But the difference was situational execution. The Hokies capitalized on mistakes, particularly with two outs, and turned extra chances into crooked numbers. In total, VCU committed three errors that led to seven unearned runs—more than enough to swing a game decided by three.
The Hokies leaned on their bullpen to stabilize the game. Brody Roe provided a key clean inning in the sixth to earn the win, and after traffic in the seventh, Preston Crowl delivered the game’s most important outing. The right-hander handled the final two innings with authority, striking out three and not allowing a hit to lock down his third save of the season.
It wasn’t a clean game, and it wasn’t a comfortable one late. But it was one where Virginia Tech showed its ability to respond, capitalize on opportunities, and hold firm when momentum started to slip. In a game defined by chaos and second chances, the Hokies were simply better at making those moments count.
Virginia Tech now turns its attention to ACC play, where it will host Duke for a three-game weekend series at English Field. The first game is scheduled for Friday, March 20, with a first pitch time of 6 p.m. ET.
