After splitting Friday’s season-opening doubleheader against Bucknell with a 19-0 win and an 8-6 loss, it was difficult to tell where Virginia Tech (2-1) stood with the Bison (2-1).
But in the Hokies’ 27-1 run-rule win in Sunday’s rubber match at home, they made it abundantly clear: That loss was a misstep, not a defining moment.
“That was one of the things we talked about yesterday,” Tech head coach John Szefc said of keeping a short memory. “I was really trying to force my guys to try to move on from and separate, especially when you gotta sit on [the loss] for a day like we did yesterday.”
In just six innings, Tech collected 22 hits across 13 different batters — five of whom had multiple hits — while a pair smacked home runs. Redshirt senior Sam Tackett had two over his career day, the second being a 500-foot blast over the left field wall.
Freshman Luca Perriello — who pinch-hit for designated hitter Jackson Cherry during mass-substitutions at the game’s tail end — hit a grand slam in his second career at-bat for runs 23-27.
“I mean, we just took really good at-bats from guys,” Szefc said. “And we don’t ever really play the 10-run rule; just kind of worked out that way today. And it wasn’t even just the starters; we had some really good play off the bench, you have a guy that hit a grand slam coming off the bench. They work as hard as anybody else, you want them to play and get an opportunity to take their at-bats.”
The Hokies’ carnage wasn’t just timely coming off Friday’s loss — it was historic. The 27 runs were the most for the program since joining the ACC in 2004. Tech’s only other 21st-century game with more runs and a bigger margin of victory? A 35-4 win over Georgetown in April 2002.
Tackett spearheaded the offense, hitting 4-for-4 with a career-high six RBI. Radford transfer Cam Pittman, who started at the leadoff spot as Treyson Hughes nursed a pinched nerve in his hip, had three hits with four RBI. Catcher David McCann ended 3-of-4 with two RBI and as many doubles.
“We were just seeing everything well today,” Tackett said. “It comes down to our preparation. [The ACC-era program record] is wild. I’ve been here five years. I feel like we’ve put up a lot of runs in a lot of different games. But to set that record, that’s pretty cool.”
The Lexington, Kentucky, native had high hopes last season but slumped, batting .189 with just two home runs. Through three games this year, he has more home runs (three) than hitless at-bats (two). He credits his offseason grind for both his early efficiency and the near 500-foot slam.
“I was sitting on a fastball and I just saw a high changeup, got it,” Tackett said of the pitch he took about 170 feet past English Field’s left field wall. “That’s something I’ve worked on this offseason, just being able to address the pitches. It’s good to see that pay off.”
“[Power is] something that I’ve always had. I’ve always been able to hit the ball hard, but really learning how to hone that in, transfer it from batting practice to the game was my biggest thing I was working on.”
The Hokies’ three-headed monster of freshman pitching was just as responsible for the historic nature of Sunday’s victory.
Logan Eisenreich made the start after suffering a season-ending UCL injury in his senior year of high school at St. Paul VI in Chantilly, Virginia. He committed to Tech in 2021 and was lauded by the staff and players last offseason — for good reason. Against Bucknell, the righty pitched four innings, throwing as many strikeouts and allowing one hit en route to his first career win.
“Everybody gets caught up in scoring 27 runs and things like that, but [Eisenreich] was the story,” Szefc said. “Because that guy that hasn’t done live pitching since August of ’23. He’s coming off Tommy John, so his outing was important for us. That game today was strong from all three freshmen.”
The other two were Parker Sweeney (three Ks and no hits in two innings) and Marcel Kulik (one hit and two Ks in one inning). The triumvirate made for an encouraging freshman-arm sequel to Jake Marciano’s six strikeouts on Friday.
The Hokies’ offense rolled from the jump. Their four hit, six-run first inning set the stage as they took advantage of four combined walks from Bison starting pitcher Jack O’Malley and reliever Ben Magovern. Tech plated six more runs in the second frame and again in the third. Six of its 18 runs in that span were unearned, signaling habitual wild-throw and passed-ball mistakes by the Bison.
Bucknell scored an unearned run of its own in the fifth inning after Michael Chiaravallo reached on an error by Jared Davis then got home on a Billy Kender single. Yet, Tech answered with nine more runs in the last two innings before the contest was cut short. Freshmen Hudson Lutterman and Perriello had their first career hits and RBI in that span, while fellow-rookies Ryder Kirtley and Mycah Jordan each notched their second hits of the weekend.
Next, the Hokies turn their attention to the first midweek contest of the season, a 4 p.m. ET bout with East Tennessee State on Tuesday, Feb 18.
“We’ll have a short workout tomorrow, lift tomorrow, and come back,” Szefc said. “East Tennessee, they'll be good. [ETSU head coach] Joe Pennucci does a good job. They’ll have a good team.”
Box Score: Virginia Tech 27, Bucknell 1