Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Hammering four home runs for the second straight game on Sunday, the Virginia Tech baseball team slugged its way back into the win column, salvaging a two-game split against UNCG courtesy of its 11-9 triumph at English Field.
Sam Grube, Pete Daniel and Willie Hurt each mashed three hits apiece to power the Hokies, who chalked their 11th win within their last 15 games. Grube’s 3-for-4 day was highlighted by a double and two home runs that netted him three RBIs while Hurt carved out three parts of the cycle from his opening three at-bats, setting a rookie season high with four RBIs.
Virginia Tech (27-22) broke out for big innings early, plating four runs during the second inning to lead, 4-1, then answering the Spartans’ game-tying rally by scoring five more runs during the third inning. Despite staking the 9-4 lead, the Hokies conceded two runs back to UNCG (21-29) during the top of the fourth inning – one off a solo home run by Brantley Truitt, whose two-run homer during the sixth inning brought the Spartans ever closer at 9-8.
With UNCG encroaching on Virginia Tech’s lead, Grube asserted the Hokies’ control of the game during the bottom of the sixth inning. Stepping in with two outs, Grube worked a 3-1 count against right-hander Cannon Lee before teeing off on his two-run shot to straightaway center field (estimated at 418 feet) that reinstated the home team’s three-run advantage at 11-8.
UNCG scratched across a run during the first inning against Virginia Tech starter Griffin Stieg, who plunked Truitt five pitches into the ballgame. Executing a hit-and-run, Truitt proceeded to go from first to third base on Jacob Mueller’s shallow single into right field before scoring on the Hokies’ ensuing 6-3 double play.
Virginia Tech brought 10 batters to the plate during its four-run second inning that was highlighted by Hurt’s first collegiate triple. Ahead in the count, 2-0, against starter Hunter Shuey, Hurt threaded the gap in right center field, scoring Nick Locurto and Daniel to supply the Hokies with their first lead of the day.
Owen Petrich furthered a string of four consecutive hits by Virginia Tech’s lineup, singling in Hurt for the 3-1 lead before Grube capped the sequence with his double into right field. After the Hokies had loaded the bases, Shuey’s 0-1 delivery to Ethan Ball skipped and brushed the freshman’s lower body, pushing Petrich home for the 4-1 advantage.
Stieg’s four-pitch walk of Truitt at the start of the third inning set the right-hander behind, manifesting into trouble when Mueller beat out an infield single that sent Truitt to third base via Daniel’s throwing error. Jacob Dilley followed with his RBI double to left field that brought UNCG within 4-2, two batters before Luke Holland ended Stieg’s start with his game-tying, two-RBI double that hopped over the outfield fence in ground-rule fashion.
Theatrically, Virginia Tech cracked open the game with its five-run third inning that featured three home runs, including a leadoff charge by Sam Gates that put the Hokies on top, 5-4. Two batters later, Hurt drove a fly ball to straightaway center field that challenged Truitt at the wall, bouncing away from the Spartans’ outfield defense to allow Hurt the unique opportunity of an inside-the-park home run – his first collegiate homer.
Two batters later, Grube extended Virginia Tech’s lead to 8-4 with his first of two home runs, riding the channel out to center field (estimated at 410 feet). Ethan Gibson kept the Hokies’ 10-batter rally alive by dropping a bunt single, stealing second base and later scoring on an RBI single by Cooke that strengthened the home team’s advantage to 9-4.
UNCG sliced back for two runs against reliever Ethan Grim during the fourth inning, receiving a three-base double by Ethan Brittain that led to him scoring on Anthony Ruocco’s ensuing ground ball. Truitt followed with a two-out solo home run that brought the Spartans within 9-6 – the same score Grim was asked to protect during the sixth inning.
There, Grim retired each of the inning’s first two batters before Ruocco’s ground ball to the left side was mishandled by Daniel at shortstop. With the inning extended, Truitt connected on the two-run home run down the left field line that created a one-run ballgame.
Grube’s responding, two-run home run during the bottom of the sixth inning provided enough insurance for Virginia Tech to hold off UNCG down the stretch. Luke Craytor threw one and two-thirds scoreless relief innings before handing the keys to left-hander Chase Swift, who had to withstand one final rally by the Spartans.
After securing the first out of the ninth inning, Swift surrendered a solo home run to Dilley before allowing each of the next three batters to reach, presenting UNCG with the potential tying run at second base. Upon inducing a first-pitch foul pop up from Luke Jenkins, Swift rallied from 2-1 down to strike out pinch hitter JJ Parsons, successfully navigating to his second save of the season.
UP NEXT
Virginia Tech will return its 2026 home-and-home series with Marshall on Tuesday, May 12. First pitch between the Hokies and the Thundering Herd at Jack Cook Field in Huntington, West Virginia, is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET.