Hokie ClubPITTSBURGH – Contesting 20 combined innings of a Sunday doubleheader lasting almost nine hours on the diamond, the Virginia Tech baseball team unfortunately came away winless during its final series day at Pitt as the Hokies were handed defeats of 5-3 (seven innings) and 14-13 (13 innings) at Charles L. Cost Field.
Graduate outfielder Ben Watson batted 5-for-10 with three doubles to lead Virginia Tech (27-21, 11-16 ACC), which has suddenly dropped five straight games since its record-setting comeback victory on April 26 at Duke. Senior outfielder Cam Pittman enjoyed a career day in the Hokies’ colors during Sunday’s finale, going 3-for-7 from the leadoff spot with four RBIs and two home runs – his first two hit since transferring from Radford this offseason.
Virginia Tech led game one by the 2-0 score line through two and a half innings, though allowed Pitt (24-21, 9-15 ACC) to plate three runs in response to take the 3-2 lead. The Hokies relied on a sacrifice fly by Henry Cooke during the top of the fifth inning to slide within 4-3 of the Panthers, but were kept scoreless the rest of the way during the seven-inning affair.
Game two delivered one of the more entertaining ACC games of the season as Virginia Tech and Pitt united to score at least one run during every inning from the start to the 10th inning. After surrendering four runs to the Panthers during the bottom of the first inning – later facing a 6-2 deficit during the third inning – the Hokies willed their way back to tie the game at 9-9 during the top of the eighth inning and steal the 11-9 lead during the ninth inning.
However, with one out during the bottom of the ninth inning, Pitt pinch hitter Jackson Cooke managed to hit the game-tying, two-run home run for the Panthers, knotting the game at 11-11 and sending the game into extra innings.
There, Virginia Tech stayed scoreless with Pitt until the 13th inning when Watson scooted an RBI double through the infield and into right center field, scoring Clay Grady as the go-ahead run. Sam Tackett followed with a clutch RBI single, extending the Hokies’ lead to 13-11 with three defensive outs to collect.
Despite the second bid at victory, Pitt stunned Virginia Tech for three winning runs during the bottom of the 13th inning. David Pedanou and Caden Dulin stroked RBI singles off reliever Luke Craytor while AJ Nessler delivered the two-out, walk-off single – chalking his fifth hit and fourth RBI of game two.
Sunday’s doubleheader finale set Virginia Tech’s ACC-era record for game duration, lasting five hours and 45 minutes. The Hokies’ previous record had been set on May 16, 2019, against Virginia (five hours, 30 minutes).