Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Building on Saturday’s walk-off win by flexing more come-from-behind spirit on Sunday, the Virginia Tech baseball team protected its one-run lead against Rutgers from the fifth inning onward as the Hokies held on firmly to prevail during the series rubber match, 4-3, at English Field.
Right-handers Ethan Grim and Luke Craytor bookended the victory with a pair of composed pitching performances each lasting three and two-thirds innings. Grim collected six of his first nine outs by strikeout, ultimately allowing two runs on five hits while Craytor (four strikeouts) retired 10 of the Scarlet Knights’ final 11 batters he faced, earning his fifth career save.
Picking up where he had left off on Saturday, Ethan Ball started the scoring for Virginia Tech (6-1) on Sunday during the bottom of the third inning, slapping his RBI single through the left side to score Hudson Lutterman from third base. Ball’s base knock – albeit quieter contact than his walk-off homer during Saturday’s 10th inning – extended the rookie’s career-opening hitting streak to seven consecutive games.
Despite leaving the bases loaded against Grim during the second inning, Rutgers (4-3) finally managed to poke through against the freshman starter during the fourth inning. With Matt Chatelle aboard at first base following his one-out walk, Ryan Jaros and Quinten Perilli connected on back-to-back RBI doubles against Grim, reversing the lead in favor of the Scarlet Knights, 2-1.
Virginia Tech responded during the bottom of the fourth inning with its best offensive production of the afternoon, bringing seven batters to the plate while scoring three runs on four hits.
Behind a leadoff single by Sam Gates, the Hokies continued to bat to contact, ending Rutgers starter Chris Sand’s day after three and one-third innings. Treyson Hughes greeted new arm Zach Gleason with an RBI double hit to left field that knotted the game at 2-2 before Lutterman reinstated the home team’s lead with his RBI single into center field.
Furthering the damage with small ball, Sam Grube approached with runners at the corners, dropping the sacrifice bunt against Gleason that scored Hughes and pushed Virginia Tech’s lead to 4-2.
Rutgers quickly earned a run back during the top of the fifth inning when Trey Wells delivered an RBI double off reliever Peyton Smith, who received the winning decision on short work (two-thirds of an inning). Brendan Yagesh helped Smith out of the fifth inning by leaving runners at the corners while Craytor went on to shut the door during the sixth inning, relieving Yagesh mid at-bat to induce – on one pitch – the inning-ending, 5-3 double play with the bases loaded.
Gates added a late double for Virginia Tech, sharing with Pete Daniel and Lutterman in the contingent of Hokies who tagged multiple hits.
Jaros went 3-for-4 to lead Rutgers, which batted 4-for-18 with runners on base (1-for-9 with runners in scoring position). Andrew Rondini pitched three scoreless innings for the Scarlet Knights, stretching from the fifth inning into the eighth inning.
“It was just a good way to finish our weekend,” said Virginia Tech head coach John Szefc. “I give Rutgers an awful lot of credit. Those guys are good.
“That’s like an ACC weekend for us right there.”
UP NEXT
Virginia Tech will visit James Madison on Tuesday, Feb. 24. First pitch between the Hokies and the Dukes at Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park is scheduled for 3 p.m. (airing on ESPN+).