Virginia Tech struck early and held off a late push to defeat James Madison 5-4 on Tuesday afternoon at Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park in Harrisonburg, earning its first road victory of the season and improving to 7-1 overall.
The Hokies started hot. Sam Grube opened the game with a double to left, and Owen Petrich followed with an inning-defining swing. The St. Joseph transfer drove a pitch from JMU right-hander Patrick Bauer off the wall in left-center and raced into third with an RBI triple – the second of his collegiate career – giving Tech a 1-0 lead two batters in.
Star freshman Ethan Ball, who entered the game riding a seven-game hitting streak to begin his college career, followed with an RBI single to right to score Petrich, capping a two-run first inning.
The Hokies built on that in the third. Nick Locurto and Grube each reached base to spark the rally, and Ball continued his productive afternoon with his second RBI of the game. Henry Cooke added an RBI fielder’s choice to push the lead to 4–0, forcing James Madison to play from behind early.
The top of the lineup set the tone throughout. Grube, Petrich and Ball combined for six of Tech’s nine hits, consistently creating traffic and putting pressure on Bauer and the Dukes’ bullpen. There was no one explosive inning — just steady, composed at-bats that built a workable cushion.
Hokies’ starter Ben Weber handled the first three innings and allowed two runs, while striking out three before handing the ball to the bullpen. Lefty Brody Roe was pivotal for Tech. Roe covered 2 ⅓ innings and kept The Dukes off the board during his outing, earning the win.
Pete Daniel provided what proved to be a key insurance run in the sixth inning with his first homer of the season, a solo shot that cleared the left field wall and extended the Hokies’ lead to 5-2. Daniel’s swing loomed large as James Madison made its push late.
The Dukes refused to fade, trimming the deficit and repeatedly putting runners in scoring position over the final four innings. James Madison finished with 10 runners left on base and had chances in the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth innings to either tie or take the lead. Each time, Tech found a way to escape.
The defining moment came in the bottom of the ninth. With two runners aboard and one out, the Hokies turned to right-hander Peyton Smith. Smith induced a groundout for the second out, then faced Keegan Haesler with the tying run in scoring position. Haesler chopped a ball toward first base that forced a reaction play from Ethan Ball, who dove to keep it in the infield before scrambling to the bag himself for the final out.
Virginia Tech did not outpower The Dukes. They were out-hit 10-9 and were forced to navigate constant traffic on the bases. What separated them was efficiency early and execution late. The Hokies made their opportunities count in the first half of the game and trusted the bullpen and defense to manage the final innings.
Through eight games, the pattern has become clear. Tech is very comfortable in tight contests. They do not need a crooked number to win. They have shown they can score early, respond, patch together good innings on the mound and handle late pressure without unraveling. Tuesday’s result in Harrisonburg fit that mold.
The Hokies will now travel to Texas for a three-game weekend series against SEC competition, where their composure will be tested again as they face off against three top-25 opponents.
