BLACKSBURG – Riding out more than five hours on the diamond from start to finish on Friday, the Virginia Tech baseball team relied on its total team effort to clip Georgia Tech, 10-7, during the teams' series-opening affair at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park.
Junior outfielder Jack Hurley and rookie shortstop Clay Grady registered three hits apiece to lead the Hokies, who have now won four of their last five ACC games across three weekends. Grady led the home side with three RBIs – highlighted by his two-RBI double during the fifth inning – while Hurley capped the game's scoring by lining his 13th home run of the season out of right field.
Virginia Tech (19-12, 6-9 ACC) received four and one-third innings from right-hand starter Anthony Arguelles, who allowed two runs (one earned) and struck out three, scattering five singles and a double without walking a batter. Arguelles left during the fifth inning with Virginia Tech leading, 6-2, before southpaw reliever Henry Weycker stranded runners at the corners to preserve the four-run margin.
Friday's win belonged to Brady Kirtner, who inherited a bases-loaded jam during the sixth inning, needing to collect three outs with the Hokies leading, 9-3. Despite allowing an unearned run to score via an infield error, Kirtner squashed the Yellow Jackets' rally, fanning five of the seven batters he faced before the game entered its second rain delay at the middle of the seventh inning.
Georgia Tech (20-14, 6-9 ACC) scored the game's opening run on a sacrifice fly by Nicholas Romano during the top of the second inning, shortly before the game moved into its first weather delay spanning 39 minutes.
Virginia Tech blitzed the Yellow Jackets after the resumption of play, rallying for four runs during the bottom of the second inning with help from a two-RBI single by Carson Jones.
Hurley added to the Hokies' lead during the fourth inning, plating Grady on a sacrifice fly to left field that put the hosts ahead, 5-1. Carson DeMartini followed by dropping an RBI single into right field, though was tagged out at second base before Chris Cannizzaro could score a second run, lying Virginia Tech a 6-1 lead and not 7-1.
Back-to-back doubles by Eddie Eisert and Grady during the fifth inning allowed the Hokies to stretch their lead to 9-2. Grady snuck his in over the bag at third base, knocking it into the left field corner as Eisert and Garrett Michel both came around to score.
After Kirtner had struck out the side during the top of the seventh inning, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech entered a second weather delay that lasted one hour and 28 minutes. Resuming play for the second time, Jake DeLeo unloaded a three-run home run to left field during the eighth inning to trim the Hokies' lead to 9-7, though had it immediately answered by Hurley's solo shot that reinstated Virginia Tech's three-run advantage.
Kristian Campbell, DeLeo and Stephen Reid combined to swing 7-for-15 from the top third of Georgia Tech's lineup, combining for four RBIs.
Friday's series opener began at 2:31 p.m. and ended at 7:58 p.m.
UP NEXT
Virginia Tech will play to clinch its first home series victory against Georgia Tech on Saturday, April 15. First pitch between the Hokies and the Yellow Jackets is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Gallery: (4-14-2023) BSB: Georgia Tech Game 1