Hokie ClubGREENVILLE, N.C. – Behind sophomore starter Brett Renfrow’s nine strikeouts (season high) and five shutout innings on Friday, the Virginia Tech baseball team opened its stay at the 2025 Keith LeClair Classic (hosted by East Carolina) with a convincing victory, downing Indiana State, 10-2, at Lewis Field at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
Renfrow scattered six hits – all singles – and walked one yet routinely closed the door on the Sycamores, stranding seven runners on base in total, including five in scoring position. The right-hander struck out Nick Sutherlin and Miguel Cantu, back-to-back, to leave two runners on base during the bottom of the first inning, ending his day after 81 pitches by negotiating a two-on, none-out jam without harm during the fifth inning.
Junior first baseman Garrett Michel went 3-for-5 with two doubles to lead Virginia Tech (7-2), which won its fourth consecutive ballgame. Michel’s double during the top of the second inning pushed David Lewis to third base and invited the Hokies to plate four runs from a bases-loaded rally, one coming off the bat of Jared Davis and his RBI single hit through the left side.
Jackson Cherry set a season high with three RBIs despite not putting a run-scoring hit into play. After drawing the bases-loaded walk that put Virginia Tech on the board during the second inning, Cherry beat out a potential inning-ending double play ball during the third inning that extended the Hokies’ lead to 5-0, adding a sacrifice fly during the fifth inning that set the score at 7-0.
Indiana State (5-4) spoiled Virginia Tech’s shutout bid against Andrew Sentlinger during the bottom of the sixth inning, rallying for two runs behind back-to-back leadoff hits by Cantu and Keegan Curtis. Sentlinger recovered to pitch the Hokies into the eighth inning, hanging three strikeouts while walking three through two and two-thirds innings of relief.
Luke Craytor and Josh Berzonski united to pick up the game’s final four outs for the Hokies’ arms, who combined to record 13 (or more) strikeouts for the fifth consecutive game (team’s first five-game streak since 2021).
True freshmen Hudson Lutterman and Anderson French sealed Virginia Tech’s win during the top of the ninth inning: Lutterman providing the pinch-hit, RBI double as his first collegiate extra-base hit while French belted a two-RBI single with the bases loaded.