Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – With 10 players cracking hits and nine registering RBIs on Tuesday night, the Virginia Tech baseball team ran away to the 14-1 midweek victory against James Madison during a seven-inning game shortened by run rule at English Field.
In victory, Virginia Tech (23-20) completed its second consecutive calendar sweep of JMU, having already defeated the Dukes, 5-4, upstate in Harrisonburg on Feb. 24. Tuesday’s win marked the Hokies’ seventh during their last nine games and hinted at another climb in the NCAA Division I RPI, where they had ranked No. 36 overall at the beginning of the day.
Nick Locurto headlined Virginia Tech’s lineup with his third three-hit game of the season that yielded two run-scoring singles – one during the first inning that plated the Hokies’ opening two runs and another during the sixth inning that contributed to the team’s fifth scoring frame. Sam Grube and Ethan Gibson matched 2-for-3 batting lines, each scoring twice from the top two spots in the batting order while Pete Daniel and Owen Petrich both went 2-for-4, reaching base three times apiece.
Virginia Tech southpaw Madden Clement was sharp throughout his midweek start lasting three and two-thirds innings pitched (season long), scattering four hits while holding James Madison (18-25) to a skinny run during the third inning. Four relievers – Brody Roe, Brendan Yagesh, Luke Craytor and Danny Lazaro – combined to blank the Dukes the rest of the way as the Hokies’ bullpen posted its fifth scoreless showing of the 2026 season (fourth during April).
Walks plagued JMU pitchers from the start of the ballgame as three of Virginia Tech’s first four batters reached base courtesy of free passes issued by starter Adam Horvath (two) and reliever Griffin Madden (one). Arriving with the bases loaded, Locurto slapped the first pitch he saw from Madden through the left side for the two-RBI single that marked the Hokies’ opening salvo.
Leading off the bottom of the second inning, Petrich tested left fielder Kyle Langley with his line drive through the glaring sun that bounced off the outfield wall for two bases. Petrich’s leadoff double sparked an 11-batter rally by Virginia Tech that led the Hokies to score five runs on six hits, none bigger than Ethan Ball’s three-run home run off the batter’s eye in center field (estimated at 423 feet).
Ball’s 11th homer of his rookie season (team high) extended Virginia Tech’s lead to 7-0 after two innings of play. Afterwards, the Hokies sprinted away from James Madison by tacking on two runs during the fourth inning, three runs during the fifth inning and another two runs during the sixth inning.
Among Virginia Tech’s offensive highlights, Gibson’s double during the bottom of the third inning extended the junior’s hitting streak to 14 consecutive games, marking the longest such streak held by a Virginia Tech player this season. Hughes delivered an RBI squeeze bunt single during the fourth inning that upped the Hokies’ lead to 8-1 while Hudson Lutterman and Daniel’s RBI singles during the fifth inning fluffed the home team’s scoring into double figures.
Tuesday’s game marked the first time this season when all nine Virginia Tech offensive starters recorded at least one hit.
UP NEXT
Virginia Tech will make its longest road trip of the 2026 season when the Hokies contest a three-game ACC series at Cal. Game times at Evans Diamond at Stu Gordon Stadium in Berkeley, California, are scheduled for 6 p.m. PT (9 p.m. ET) on Friday (May 1), 2 p.m. PT (5 p.m. ET) on Saturday (May 2) and 1 p.m. PT (4 p.m. ET) on Sunday (May 3).