Virginia Tech found the perfect remedy for its weekend heartbreak Tuesday evening at Williams Field, as a relentless power surge led to a 13-5 victory over Radford.
After a series loss against Stanford, the Hokies (14-13, 5-7 ACC) wasted no time finding their rhythm. By the time the sun had set over Sherman Carter Memorial Stadium, Virginia Tech had flexed its muscle with a four-homer barrage to overpower the Highlanders (12-13, 2-4 BSC) and secure a much-needed midweek bounce-back.
The afternoon began with a statement of intent through aggressive situational hitting. In the first inning, Pete Daniel sparked the offense by drawing a leadoff walk and eventually scoring on a wild pitch. Moments later, Ethan Ball, who reached on a single through the right side, crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly from Henry Cooke, gifting the Hokies an early 2-0 lead.
The long ball took over in the second. With the lineup turning over, Ethan Gibson and Treyson Hughes launched solo home runs to right field, doubling the advantage to 4-0. Gibson’s homer was his third in his last four games, and Hughes’s was his first of the season. The definitive surge came in the third inning, highlighted by a Henry Cooke two-RBI double and a towering two-run home run from Nick Locurto that pushed the lead to a daunting 8-0.
Aiden Robertson earned the start for Tech and provided two scoreless frames before the Radford bats found a brief window in the third. After a two-out RBI double by Junho Son and an RBI single from Hunter Keen, the Highlanders manufactured a third run on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch to cut the lead to 8-3.
The Hokies effectively put the contest away in the fifth. Nick Locurto delivered the decisive blow with his second home run of the night – a solo blast to left field. Tech added two more in the frame through a passed ball and a sacrifice bunt by Hughes, extending the margin to 11-3.
Any hope for a Highlander miracle was stifled by the Hokie bullpen and a few late insurance runs. Pete Daniel drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh, and Sam Gates added an RBI groundout in the eighth to cap the scoring at 13. While Radford manufactured two runs in the ninth through a pair of bases-loaded walks, the deficit proved too steep to overcome.
The statistics highlighted a complete offensive turnaround for a Hokie lineup that out-hit Radford 12-6. Locurto turned in a 3-for-4 performance with two homers, while Gibson and Hughes also added long balls.
The Hokies will now look to carry this momentum south as they return to ACC play for a high-stakes road trip.
The Hokies will travel to Coral Gables, Florida, for a three-game conference series against Miami beginning Friday, April 3. First pitch for the series opener at Mark Light Field is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
