Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Taking the 3-2 lead into the ninth inning of Friday’s ACC opener, the Virginia Tech baseball team came within two outs of starting conference play in the win column, losing a heartbreaker to Georgia Tech, 4-3, at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park.
Sophomore starter Brett Renfrow toed his longest outing of the 2025 season, posting six solid innings, striking out six batters and scattering five hits while holding the visitors to two runs (one earned). After surrendering his only run-scoring hit of the day during the fourth inning – a two-RBI single by Caleb Daniel – Renfrow collected seven outs from the next seven batters he faced, later ending his outing with a put-away strikeout of Daniel and departing with the 3-2 lead.
Virginia Tech (10-4, 0-1 ACC) struck first during the bottom of the first inning as cleanup first baseman Garrett Michel stroked a two-out, RBI double into left center, scoring David McCann from first base. The Hokies had a chance to jump ahead further against opposing stater Tate McKee during the second inning behind Ben Watson’s leadoff double, though played themselves out of the inning on a botched double steal try; Watson making the final out at home, 2-4-2.
While Daniel’s two-run single during the fourth inning slid Georgia Tech (12-2, 1-0 ACC) ahead for the first time, the Yellow Jackets left the door open for Virginia Tech to tie the game during the bottom of the inning. With two outs, Tyler Neises errantly dropped Watson’s fly ball in left field, inviting Henry Cooke to win a seven-pitch battle against McKee by singling in Watson to knot the game at 2-2.
After homering for the first time at the NCAA Division I level on Wednesday, Jared Davis did so again during the fifth inning, hammering Virginia Tech out to the 3-2 lead. However, Davis mashing 411 feet to left field went down as the Hokies’ final hit of the ballgame as they became stymied by reliever Mason Patel, who entered after the home run and logged the final four and two-thirds innings for the visitors.
With Patel icing Virginia Tech at the plate, Georgia Tech went to work creating game-tying scoring chances throughout the late innings.
Preston Crowl led the Hokies through trouble during the top of the seventh inning after inheriting a two-on, none-out situation from Jacob Exum. Facing runners at the corners, Crowl induced the ground ball that caught lead runner Parker Brosius in a rundown between third and home, prompting an easier path out of the inning.
By the eighth inning, Luke Craytor picked up Crowl with runners at the corners and two outs, working a count full against Brosius. On Craytor’s sixth delivery, Brosius turned and lined a ball down the third base line, causing David Lewis to elevate and make the game-saving catch that kept the Hokies lying a one-run lead.
Circumstances proved less fortunate for Virginia Tech during the top of the ninth inning as Craytor issued a pair of leadoff walks, bending the inning in Georgia Tech’s favor. Despite Michel hauling in a foul pop up on the right side, Kent Schmidt and Alex Hernandez came through with back-to-back RBI singles for the Yellow Jackets, delivering the guests the 4-3 lead.
Jackson Cherry drew a two-out, pinch-hit walk in response against Patel to give the Hokies life, despite Clay Grady rocketing a line drive during the ensuing at-bat into the glove of left fielder Joshua Evans, ending the game.