Virginia Tech Secures Series Victory Over Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Midweek Win Against the James Madison Dukes

Virginia Tech Hokies baseball Falls to Rutgers Scarlet Knights, 16–1, at English Field

BLACKSBURG, Va. (Feb. 20, 2026) Rutgers erupted for 14 runs over the final three innings to pull away from Virginia Tech and secure a 16–1 victory Friday afternoon at English Field.

The Hokies (1–16) struck early with a milestone blast from designated hitter Ethan Ball, but the Scarlet Knights capitalized on key mistakes and timely power hitting to seize control and never look back.

Early Momentum Swings

Rutgers opened the scoring in the second inning, taking advantage of an error to plate an unearned run for a 1–0 lead. Virginia Tech answered immediately in the bottom half when Ball launched his first collegiate home run over the wall, tying the game at 1–1 and briefly energizing the home crowd.

The tie was short-lived. In the third inning, Charlie Meglio connected on a solo homer to give Rutgers a 2–1 edge. Hokies starter Brett Renfrow settled in with five strikeouts across three innings, and Preston Crowl added four punchouts in relief to keep the deficit manageable through the middle frames.

Fifth-Inning Breakthrough

Rutgers delivered the decisive blow in the fifth. After a pair of base runners reached, Meglio struck again this time a three-run homer that stretched the lead to 5–1. The Scarlet Knights continued to apply pressure with consistent contact and disciplined at-bats.

Virginia Tech threatened in the fourth inning, loading the bases with two walks and a single, but a strikeout and flyout ended the rally. The Hokies managed just one extra-base hit the rest of the way, a sixth-inning double by Owen Petrich.

Late-Game Surge

The Scarlet Knights broke the game open in the seventh and eighth innings. A string of singles, a double, and patient plate appearances resulted in three runs in the seventh and eight runs in the eighth.

Peyton Bonds, grandson of former MLB star Bobby Bonds collected multiple hits and scored during the late rally. Rutgers tallied 16 runs on a barrage of hits, forcing the Hokies to cycle through additional arms, including Jake Wise in his first collegiate appearance and Tyler Stone, who recorded two strikeouts.

By the Numbers

• Rutgers: 16 runs on sustained offensive pressure, including two home runs from Meglio.
   
• Virginia Tech: 1 run on Ethan Ball’s solo home run.
   
• Hokies pitching combined for 11 strikeouts despite the lopsided score.

Virginia Tech will look to regroup and tighten up defensively as the series continues in Blacksburg.

Virginia Tech Hokies baseball Rally Late, Walk Off Rutgers Scarlet Knights in 10-Inning Thriller

BLACKSBURG, Va. (Feb. 21, 2026) It wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t easy. But it was unforgettable.

Virginia Tech battled from the first pitch to the final swing Saturday at English Field, overcoming early mistakes, a late extra-inning deficit, and 16 Rutgers strikeouts at the plate to claim a dramatic 9–8 walk-off victory in 10 innings.

From the Hokies’ perspective, this was a game defined by resilience.

Early Punches and a Quick Response

Rutgers capitalized immediately in the first inning, using a double play and a Hokie fielding error to jump ahead 2–0. Instead of folding, Virginia Tech responded in the bottom half.

Sam Grube and Owen Petrich opened with back-to-back singles, setting the table for Anderson French. With two outs, French delivered a clutch two-run single to right, tying the game at 2–2 and restoring momentum.

It was an early sign: Tech wasn’t going quietly.

Settling In on the Mound

Griffin Stieg gave the Hokies 4.1 competitive innings, striking out four and limiting damage despite Rutgers stringing together some extra-base hits in the third. When the Scarlet Knights pushed ahead 4–2, Tech’s bullpen kept the game within reach. In fact, Hokie pitchers combined for 16 strikeouts.

Chase Swift was electric in relief, punching out six in 2.2 innings. Swift struck out 12 of the first 17 hitters faced this season.

Logan Eisenreich added four more strikeouts in relief, navigating key traffic in the eighth and ninth.

Grube Ignites the Comeback

Trailing 4–2 in the fifth, Sam Grube sparked the offense with a 399-foot solo home run, his first at Virginia Tech cutting the deficit to one.

Rutgers answered with a solo shot in the sixth to make it 5–3, but Tech kept applying pressure. In the ninth, down two runs, Grube doubled to right-center to start the rally. Petrich followed with an RBI single to make it 5–4.

With two outs and the bases loaded, French once again delivered, drawing a gritty walk to force in the tying run and send the game to extra innings.

A Gut Check in the 10th

Rutgers appeared to seize control in the top of the 10th, scoring three runs on walks and a wild pitch to take an 8–5 lead. For many teams, that would have been the breaking point.

Not this one.

Brendan Yagesh recorded the final out of the inning, giving the Hokies a chance.

Three Swings. Four Runs. Ballgame.

Hudson Lutterman started the bottom of the 10th with a solo home run to left. Suddenly, it was 8–6.

Two batters later, Grube struck again, launching his second homer of the day, a 407-foot blast to right-center. Now it was 8–7 and the English Field was alive.

After a walk put the tying run aboard, Ethan Ball stepped in. The freshman worked the count full before unloading on a towering 423-foot drive to center field. Walk-off 9–8 Hokies.

Players poured out of the dugout as Ball rounded the bases, completing one of the most dramatic comebacks in recent memory.

Virginia Tech finished with 11 hits and 10 walks, showing patience and belief even after stranding 11 runners. Grube led the charge with four hits, two homers and four runs scored. French drove in three. Ball delivered the walk off.

Most importantly, the Hokies never stopped competing.

From an early defensive miscue to a three-run deficit in extra innings, Tech answered every challenge. Saturday’s win wasn’t just about the home runs in the 10th, it was about toughness, pitching depth, timely at-bats, and refusing to let the game slip away.

At English Field, the Hokies didn’t just win.

They endured. They responded. And when it mattered most, they exploded.

Hokies Rally in Fourth to Edge Scarlet Knights 4-3 at English Field

BLACKSBURG, Va. Behind a decisive fourth-inning surge and lockdown relief pitching, the Virginia Tech Hokies won the series against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights for a 4-3 victory on a chilly Sunday afternoon at English Field.

Virginia Tech (6-1) collected nine hits and used a three-run fourth inning to erase a deficit and seize control, while the Hokies’ bullpen combined for 5.1 innings of one-run baseball to secure the win.

Ball Strikes First

After two scoreless frames, Virginia Tech broke through in the bottom of the third. Sophomore outfielder Hudson Lutterman recorded his first hit single of the season, advanced to third, and scored on a two-out RBI single from Ethan Ball. Ball’s clutch knock through the left side gave the Hokies a 1-0 lead.

Rutgers Responds

Rutgers (4-3) answered in the fourth. Ryan Jaros doubled down the left-field line to plate Matt Chatelle, tying the game at 1-1. Moments later, Quinten Perilli roped an RBI double to center, giving the Scarlet Knights a 2-1 advantage.

Hokies’ Fourth-Inning Surge

The Hokies wasted little time responding in the bottom half.

Sam Gates started the rally with a single, and Anderson French and Pete Daniel followed with quality at-bats to set the stage. Treyson Hughes delivered an RBI double to left, tying the game at 2-2. Lutterman stayed hot with an RBI single to center, scoring Daniel for a 3-2 edge.

With Hughes at third, Sam Grube executed a textbook sacrifice bunt that brought home another run, stretching the lead to 4-2. The three-run inning proved to be the difference.

Scarlet Knights Close the Gap

Rutgers trimmed the deficit in the fifth when Trey Wells doubled to left-center, driving in Charlie Meglio to make it 4-3. However, that would be the final run of the afternoon for the Scarlet Knights.

Bullpen Locks It Down

Virginia Tech’s pitching staff totaled 11 strikeouts on the day.

• Ethan Grim struck out six over 3.2 innings in the start.
   
• Peyton Smith (1-0) earned the win in relief.
   
• Brendan Yagesh added a key strikeout in the middle innings.
   
• Luke Craytor was dominant down the stretch, striking out four batters in a row across 3.2 scoreless innings to earn his first save of the season.

Craytor slammed the door in the ninth, retiring Rutgers in order to seal the 4-3 victory.

By the Numbers

• Virginia Tech: 4 runs, 9 hits, 1 error
   
• Rutgers: 3 runs, 7 hits, 2 error
   
• Hokies went 5-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
   
• Rutgers left 10 runners on base.

In snowy 36-degree conditions in front of Hokie fans, the Hokies showed resilience, answering every Rutgers push and leaning on timely hitting, great defensive adjustments, and strong bullpen work to secure the win.

Virginia Tech returns to action on Tuesday at James Madison University, looking to build on its strong 6-1 start, while Rutgers will aim to rebound after narrowly missing a late comeback opportunity.

Virginia Tech Hokies 5, James Madison Dukes 4

On a cold 37 degrees, Tuesday afternoon in Harrisonburg, Virginia Tech leaned on early offense and late-game defense to escape with a 5–4 win over James Madison.

Fast Start Sets the Tone

The Hokies jumped on JMU starter Patrick Bauer immediately in the first inning. Sam Grube opened with a double to left, then raced home when Owen Petrich laced a triple into the left-center gap. Two batters later, Ethan Ball shot a single to right to plate Petrich and make it 2-0 before the Dukes could record an out.

Tech added pressure again in the third. Nick Locurto placed a perfect bunt single, advanced on a wild pitch, and moved to third on Grube’s single. Ball delivered once more with an RBI single, and Henry Cooke brought in another run on a sacrifice bunt, extending the lead to 4-0. The Hokies were aggressive on the bases all afternoon, swiping four bags and consistently forcing defensive mistakes.

Pitching Through Traffic

Starter Ben Weber struck out three over three innings, allowing two runs while navigating early traffic. Left-hander Brody Roe earned the win, tossing 2.1 innings and stranding key runners in the middle frames.

James Madison chipped away with a sacrifice fly in the third and a run on a wild pitch in the fourth to cut it to 4-2. In the seventh, the Dukes capitalized on singles from Kyle Langley and Josiah Seguin to pull within one at 5-4.

Daniel’s Blast and Ninth-Inning Drama

The Hokies’ insurance came in the sixth when Pete Daniel crushed a solo home run to left field, his lone hit of the day but arguably the biggest swing of the game.

The ninth inning nearly flipped the script. With runners aboard and one out JMU grounded out, JMU sent a sinking liner into the outfield that looked destined to drop and score two. Instead, Ethan Gibson, who had entered at first base earlier, made a diving catch that preserved the lead. Closer Peyton Smith recorded the final outs to seal the win.

Virginia Tech finished with ten hits, went 4-for-12 with runners in scoring position, and survived a tense finish to move to 7-1 on the year. Virginia Tech will have a quick turnaround as the Hokies travel to Globe Life Field this weekend for a three-game series in Arlington, Texas. They are set to face No. 23 Texas A&M, No. 4 Mississippi State, and No. 20 Tennessee in a highly competitive slate of matchups.