Hokie ClubDURHAM, N.C. – Rallying from seven runs down on Saturday afternoon, the Virginia Tech baseball team reset itself after an 82-minute weather delay to pull off the program’s largest come-from-behind victory during an ACC regular season game as the Hokies stunned Duke, 9-8, in 11 innings at Jack Coombs Field.
Virginia Tech (27-16, 11-12 ACC) fell behind, 6-0, during the bottom of the first inning and was defending the bases loaded during the third inning when play was halted at 4:23 p.m. for inclement weather advancing on the Durham area. At the time play was suspended, Luke Jackman – the Hokies’ fourth pitcher of the ballgame – was behind 2-0 in his count to AJ Gracia, who had hit Friday’s walk-off, three-run home run for the Blue Devils during the bottom of the 11th inning.
Waiting out an hour and 22 minutes of mixed lightning and rain, Jackman resumed his at-bat with Gracia but was unable to dodge walking the center fielder, pushing home Ben Rounds from third base. Through three innings, Duke (29-15, 13-10 ACC) held the commanding, 7-0 lead.
With the weather delay chasing the Blue Devils’ starter, Andrew Healy, from the contest after three innings of work (48 pitches), Virginia Tech began its comeback charge during the top of the fifth inning. Hudson Lutterman led the Hokies off with a base hit while Nick Locurto followed with his double hit to the left field wall – the sophomore’s first career extra-base hit against the ACC.
After Clay Grady had put Virginia Tech on the board with his RBI groundout to the left side, Jared Davis patiently held out for the five-pitch walk that put runners on first and second base for junior catcher Henry Cooke. Working a 2-2 count against Duke reliever Ryan Calvert, Cooke pummeled a three-run home run to straightaway center field, cutting the Hokies’ deficit to 7-4.
Lying only one out during the fifth inning, Ben Watson jumped on the Blue Devils’ new reliever, Gabe Nard, singling down the left field line to keep the Virginia Tech offense cranking. Watson moved into scoring position on a walk and took third base on David McCann’s ground ball, scoring the Hokies’ fifth run of the inning on a wild pitch thrown by Nard.
Jackman kept Duke scoreless during the bottom of the fifth inning while Lutterman opened Virginia Tech’s sixth inning with fireworks. On Nard’s third pitch of the frame, Lutterman drove a solo home run to left field – his fourth of the season – scooting the Hokies within a run of the Blue Devils at 7-6.
Three batters later (with a runner on base), Cooke put a charge into his second home run of the afternoon, hammering Virginia Tech out to the 8-7 lead. The Hokies’ third-year catcher banked five RBIs (career high) during his second collegiate multi-homer game – his first such performance since March 2024 against Marist.
Mathieu Curtis retired Duke in order during the bottom of the sixth inning while Grant Manning picked up the Hokies’ one-run lead during the bottom of the seventh inning. With one out and the tying run at second base, Manning closed the door on the Blue Devils with back-to-back strikeouts of Macon Winslow and Noah Murray, preserving the lead for the time being.
Despite Manning dealing, Duke managed to scratch across the game’s tying run during the bottom of the eighth inning as Ben Miller dropped a soft RBI single into shallow center field. Assuring the Blue Devils no more activity, Manning struck out Jake Hyde and Tyler Albright during consecutive at-bats as the two ACC sides moved into the ninth inning tied at 8-8.
Advancing to extra innings for the second straight game of the series, Manning continued to overpower Duke, striking out the top of the Blue Devils’ lineup during the bottom of the 10th inning. Virginia Tech’s graduate right-hander ended up toeing the game’s final four and two-thirds innings for the Hokies, matching his career high for strikeouts at the NCAA Division I level (nine).
Virginia Tech made its winning move during the top of the 11th inning, receiving a leadoff single by Grady and a double by Jared Davis that landed inside the right field foul line. Two batters later, Watson stroked the go-ahead sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Grady for the 9-8 lead.
Manning retired the Blue Devils in order again during the bottom of the 11th inning as the Hokies completed their first comeback victory from seven runs down or more since May 15, 2018, against William & Mary.