Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Led by senior southpaw Brendan Yagesh’s seven shutout innings on Friday night, the Virginia Tech baseball team stifled Duke, 7-1, to win the opening game of the teams’ three-game ACC series at English Field.
Like clockwork, Yagesh worked with regimented pace through the Blue Devils’ lineup, comfortably retiring the first seven batters he faced, including four by strikeout. Had it not been for a check-swing ground ball by Brooks Perez, the left-hander would have remained perfect through the game’s opening three innings, despite Perez dribbling up the third base line, away from the Hokies’ infield that had been shifted over to his pull side.
With his deceptive pickoff move, Yagesh twice caught runners on base to end innings, throwing out Jake Lambdin, 1-3-4, to end the third inning and nabbing Michael DiMartini, 1-3-6, to end the fifth inning. Facing two runners on base during the sixth inning – the only time during his career-long start when he dealt with multiple base runners – Yagesh put away RJ Hamilton (Duke’s team leader in batting average) on three pitches, maintaining a 3-0 lead into the late innings.
For his final act, Yagesh needed 13 pitches to retire the Blue Devils during the seventh inning, tying his longest career outing (April 2024 with Mount St. Mary’s). Without issuing a walk, the lefty set a season high with seven strikeouts, topping out at 104 pitches while landing 70 strikes.
After his three-hit performance on Wednesday, Pete Daniel delivered the go-ahead, two-RBI single for Virginia Tech (11-9, 3-4 ACC) during the bottom of the third inning, backing Yagesh before his second trip through the visiting batting order. Nick Locurto connected on another two-out, run-scoring single during the fourth inning, spotting the Hokies their 3-0 lead and chasing starter Aidan Weaver from the ballgame.
Duke (15-9, 3-4 ACC) turned to left-hander Marcello Mastroianni, who kept Virginia Tech’s lead at three runs into the seventh inning. There, with the Blue Devils diving deeper into their bullpen, the Hokies loaded the bases and proceeded to score two insurance runs without a hit, staking the 5-0 lead with six outs left to be claimed.
Brody Roe cemented Yagesh’s win by motoring through the final two innings, despite losing the shutout on Jeff Lougee’s pinch-hit, leadoff home run during the top of the ninth inning. Together, the Hokies’ arms combined to record nine strikeouts without issuing a walk – the team’s second instance this season without allowing a walk.
Virginia Tech tied its season high with seven stolen bases, executing a double steal of second and third base during the bottom of the eighth inning that set up a two-RBI single by Sam Gates. In total, seven distinct Hokies recorded a hit, six scored a run and five were credited with RBIs.
UP NEXT
Virginia Tech will play for its first ACC series win of the 2026 season on Saturday, March 21, when its hosts Duke at English Field. First pitch between the Hokies and the Blue Devils is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET.
REMAINING SERIES PROBABLE STARTERS:
• Saturday (March 21): Jack Hedrick (2-0, 3.12 ERA) vs. Brett Renfrow (0-3, 9.00 ERA)
• Sunday (March 22): Andy Leon (1-1, 4.05 ERA) vs. TBA