Hokie ClubCHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Receiving home runs from Owen Petrich and Hudson Lutterman on Saturday, the Virginia Tech baseball team clawed back from its early deficit to pull as close as three runs of No. 14 Virginia, despite ultimately playing to the 10-5 defeat at Davenport Field at Disharoon Park.
Unable to win the weekend series, the Hokies surrendered the baseball point in the Commonwealth Clash presented by Smithfield to the Cavaliers, who remained unbeaten at home (10-0) following Saturday’s result.
Virginia Tech (8-9, 1-4 ACC) fell into an insurmountable deficit early as Virginia (16-3, 4-1 ACC) did starter Brett Renfrow in for seven earned runs spanning the right-hander’s two innings on the mound. Six of the seven runs charged to Renfrow were scored courtesy of the three home runs he allowed, matching his career high from his May 2024 start against Miami.
Joe Trioly put the Cavaliers on top, 3-0, three batters into the first inning, taking Renfrow to left field and scoring two runners who had been put on via free passes. Renfrow appeared to see his way out of the inning when Treyson Hughes made a heroic catch in center field, only for video replay to show he had trapped the ball and award Zach Jackson with a two-out, RBI double.
Jake Weatherspoon complicated matters for Renfrow when he led off the second inning, carrying an 0-2 pitch to left field for the solo home run that extended Virginia’s lead to 5-0. Four batters later, Sam Harris connected on an 0-1 delivery from Renfrow, depositing the Cavaliers’ third home run of the day into left field to establish the hosts’ comfortable, 7-0 advantage.
Finding its resolve during the fourth inning, Virginia Tech rallied its way back into the ballgame, creating its best offensive display of the day. Lutterman led off the inning with a traditional double hit down the left field line, but had to hold at third base on Henry Cooke’s ensuing fly ball that dropped for an unconventional two-base hit.
Going small, Sam Gates bunted a high-arcing ball over the pitcher’s mound for an infield single that, despite scoring Lutterman, ironically froze Cooke at second base. With three batters reaching ahead of him, Petrich delivered the marquee hit of the inning, hammering a three-run home run to left field that helped the Hokies slice their deficit to 7-4.
However, Virginia answered during the bottom of the fourth inning with a pair of solo home runs, one powered by AJ Gracia and another hit by Harris – his second of the game. Lutterman added to both teams’ home run barrage with a solo blast during the top of the fifth inning, pulling Virginia Tech within 9-5 by the game’s midway point.
Virginia threatened to push more runs across during the bottom of the fifth inning, loading the bases after three walks – two issued by Aiden Robertson and one by Josh Berzonski. Despite inheriting a tricky situation, Berzonski held the Cavaliers to a lone run via a sacrifice fly by Eric Becker, striking out Gracia to leave two runners aboard.
Berzonski settled the game down for Virginia Tech, striking out six of the 11 batters he faced through three scoreless innings of relief work. He and Danny Lazaro combined to hold the Cavaliers scoreless from the sixth inning onward while allowing two hits.
Left-handed starter Max Stammel went six innings for Virginia, earning the win despite accounting for each of the Hokies’ five runs (all earned).
UP NEXT
Virginia Tech will wrap up the Commonwealth Clash presented by Smithfield with its weekend finale at No. 14 Virginia on Sunday, March 15. First pitch between the Hokies and the Cavaliers is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET at Davenport Field at Disharoon Park.
REMAINING SERIES PROBABLE STARTERS:
• Sunday (March 15): TBA vs. John Paone (1-0, 3.24 ERA)