On Tuesday, the Hokies traveled to Richmond for the second of two midweek matchups between the two schools. Virginia Tech was able to scrape their way to victory, scoring six runs on just three hits, as a sea-saw matchup ended up tilting in the Hokies favor 6-5 over the Rams.
Chase Swift got his first start in two weeks, coming back from a minor back injury against Troy. For the first time all year, he surrendered more than one run in a start. Swift threw just 1.2 innings and gave up four runs before being pulled for Matheiu Curtis.
Curtis, coming off of a tough outing against UNC, did not disappoint the Hokies. He threw 2.1 innings of one run (unearned) baseball to keep the Hokies stagnant offense in the game. Following him was Jacob Exum, who likewise pitched very well, throwing two scoreless innings and only allowing two baserunners along the way. After that, Luke Craytor entered the game and hit the first batter that he faced, leading to him being pulled.
Next for the Hokies, it was Josh Berzonski. He was coming off of a short outing against UNC on Sunday, throwing just 0.2 innings. In this one, Berzonski threw 3.0 scoreless innings on his way to his fourth win of the season. His dominance out of the bullpen proved to be the difference-maker, as he steadied the game long enough for the Hokies to mount their late-inning push. His clutch performance capped off a strong collective effort from the Virginia Tech bullpen.
Offensively for the Hokies, there isn’t much, if anything to write home about. They only had three hits. To their credit, they made the three count, with three of the Hokies’ RBIs coming off of the three hits. Sam Tackett was among those three hits, lacing a double down the line that scored Clay Grady, who represented the eventual winning run for Virginia Tech.
David Lewis was able to get back on track, going 1-3 with a walk and two RBIs, his lone hit was his first since the third game of the series against Wake Forest, where he went 2-2. The Hokies have desperately been looking for a bat with power, and they expected Lewis to be that near the beginning of the season. Due to injuries, he has been able to break back into the lineup. If he can be an effective bat for the Hokies, which he proved to be able to do in the Cape League this past summer, it would raise the ceiling of this offense significantly.
For VCU, the Hokies forced them to go through nine pitchers in the contest. Getting the start for the Rams was Cooper Campbell, who got them through the first inning scoreless. Following the starter was Miles Garrett, who got the Rams through the second inning, but allowed three runs in the process. The third arm out of the bullpen was Michael Walsh, who walked the only two batters he faced before being pulled
Following those three for VCU was Max Moore, who threw two scoreless innings for the Rams as they looked to stabilize their bullpen. Unfortunately for them, Joe Gomez would come in and give up another run as soon as Moore’s day was through. James McGrady got through the next 1.1 innings without giving up a run. The final three innings were split evenly between Roary, Coston, and Peters. Coston gave up the only run between the three.
Offensively for VCU, things looked good early, with four runs scored on the Hokies starter. They were able to compile eight total hits, with half of them coming from Nick Flores and Adrian Jimenez, who both had two. One of Nick Flores’ hits was a big fly coming in the opening inning to give the Rams a 1-0 lead. That is the second consecutive game against Virginia Tech where the VCU lead off batter hit a homer to begin the game.
In a game that featured more grit than glamour, the Hokies showed that they can win ugly when it matters. While the offense continues to search for consistency, timely hits and smart base running were just enough to edge out a scrappy VCU team. The real story, however, was the bullpen’s ability to lock things down after a shaky start, highlighted by Berzonski’s three shutout innings. With conference play beginning to wind down, performances like these could be crucial for Virginia Tech as they try to build momentum down the stretch and push to make their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2022.
