Hokie ClubJOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Despite a noteworthy first career start by freshman Willie Hurt on Tuesday, the Virginia Tech baseball team was kept relatively in check by ETSU during its 9-4 loss at Thomas Stadium, missing its chance to sweep the home-and-home season series with the Buccaneers.
Hurt went 2-for-3 as the designated hitter and was hit by a pitch, accounting for half of the Hokies’ four hits – their second lowest output of the 2026 season. Ethan Gibson and Pete Daniel batted doubles during the sixth and ninth innings, respectively, with Gibson’s plating Sam Gates as the first response to the home team’s four-run fifth inning.
Virginia Tech (12-11) scored two of its four runs during innings within which it did not produce a hit. On two occasions – during the third and seventh innings – the Hokies loaded the bases courtesy of three consecutive leadoff walks, though both times were held to solitary runs on balls that resulted in outs.
Hurt was instrumental in manufacturing Virginia Tech’s go-ahead run during the top of the second inning. After singling Hudson Lutterman to third base, Hurt baited ETSU (17-6) into a throw down to second base where he gave himself up in a rundown, allowing Lutterman to charge home and put the Hokies on top, 1-0.
Making his first career start at the NCAA Division I level, Danny Lazaro opened with two scoreless innings before running into trouble during the bottom of the third inning. Lazaro left two runners aboard for reliever Jacob Exum, who struggled finding the inning-ending outs, allowing a two-RBI double to Henry Ferguson and an RBI single to Tristan Curless.
Exum passed the 3-2 ballgame during the fifth inning over to freshman right-hander Jake Wise, who had difficulty establishing command. After issuing back-to-back leadoff walks, Wise conceded a three-run home run to Curless, three batters before surrendering another solo home run to Luke Matlock that left the Buccaneers lying the 7-2 advantage.
Aiden Robertson picked up Wise and calmed the game down, providing time for Virginia Tech to score during the sixth and seventh innings, trimming the margin to 7-4. However, Robertson was unable to hold off ETSU during the eighth inning, allowing run-scoring hits to Nate Conner (double) and Ferguson (single) that set the final score at 9-4.
Together, the top three hitters in the Buccaneers’ lineup combined to bat 6-for-9 with two doubles and a home run, yielding eight of the team’s nine RBIs.
Virginia Tech’s pitching staff combined to record nine walks and seven strikeouts while hitting four batsmen. ETSU’s arms united for seven walks and eight strikeouts.
UP NEXT
Virginia Tech will open a three-game ACC series against Stanford on Friday, March 27, at English Field. Game times between the Hokies and the Cardinal are scheduled for 6 p.m. ET on Friday, 3 p.m. ET on Saturday (March 28) and 1 p.m. ET on Sunday (March 29).