Cushioned by two Sam Tackett home runs and freshman Harrison Lutterman’s game-winning RBI double, the Hokies survived a ninth-inning surge by No. 16 Louisville, winning 5-4 at English Field on Friday.
Virginia Tech (15-7, 3-4 ACC) fared well in its first game against a ranked opponent this season. Its spurts of offense were backed by an ultra-efficient Brett Renfrow start that rendered the Cardinals (17-4, 2-2 ACC) scoreless through the game’s first seven innings.
Tackett (3-for-3) cracked 363- and 437-foot blasts — two RBI apiece — for his third multi-homer game of the year. The fifth-year senior claimed three of Louisville starter Patrick Forbes’ seven hits and has slashed .444/.500/1.074 through ACC play thus far.
“He’s probably one of the best position players in this league,” Hokies head coach John Szefc said of Tackett. “Certainly one of the best athletes. His numbers would indicate that. He’s having production against big-time arms, so you can’t argue. … I mean, you’re talking about a guy I wasn’t even sure was going to come back to Virginia Tech this year. He’s made us a way better baseball team.”
Tackett’s four RBI wouldn’t have been enough to win had Lutterman — in his third career start — not knocked a deep left-center double in the sixth for Tech’s fifth run.
The Knoxville, Tennessee, native has seen an expanded role at third base after usual-starter David Lewis’ performance-related benching last weekend. Lutterman has capitalized on the opportunity, hitting .333 with seven RBI in his last three games. His offense elevates with runners on, and he has a natural look at third despite his rookie status.
“Lutterman is a tough kid,” Szefc said. “He can hit. He gives you consistent defense. [His performances] haven’t been surprising to me, the guy’s been working his ass off the whole year. It’s not like he just showed up and you’re like, ‘Whoa, who’s that guy?’ It’s not the way it is. … Sometimes when people get their opportunities, they take advantage of them.”
When he knocked his sixth-inning double — plating Garrett Michel, who took two free bases — the Cardinals were knee-deep into Renfrow’s runless start. Tech’s ace tied his lowest strikeout total of the year, but forced a seemingly endless stream of weak contact — trusting in his control and the errorless fielders behind him.
“There really wasn’t a difference in my usual approach,” Renfrow said, referring to his propensity for high-strikeout outings. “It was just me just trying to get ahead in counts. Try to get ahead, strike them out and see if [they chase]. Pop-ups and those things are still good. There’s no complaints there.”
Renfrow’s surgical outing featured seven innings with four or less batters. When Forbes — who generally handled every Tech batter besides Tackett — reached 100 pitches for the Cardinals, Renfrow had just 63. His 13.6 pitches per inning is his best of the season by nearly three tosses.
His day looked to be done after allowing a double and a walk in the seventh inning. As is typical, Szefc stepped to the mound to — presumably — take the ball out of Renfrow’s hand. Instead, he held a mound visit, fooling even Tech reliever Andrew Sentlinger, who had started towards the bump before being ushered back into the bullpen.
It was the first time since at least 2023 that Szefc went to the mound without pulling the pitcher. Visits are typically held by pitching coach Ryan Fecteau.
“I never thought of taking Renfrow out because he’s a competitive guy,” Szefc said. “I know he wants to stay in the game. I actually went to explain to the defense what we were going to do, and give [Renfrow] a boost of confidence because he’s one of our best players and we have a lot of faith in him. I wanted him to finish that inning, and he did a great job of it.”
Sentlinger eventually got his chance after Renfrow surrendered a Matt Klein single to plate Louisville’s first run unearned. The junior retired his first four batters before giving up a double and a four-pitch walk in the ninth.
Tech reliever Preston Crowl looked to secure the final two outs, but a questionable Clay Grady toss to second was much too late and loaded the bases. A Zion Rose infield single made it 5-2 before Crowl tossed Klein four straight balls to walk in a third Cardinals run, warranting a switch to graduate arm Cameron LeJeune.
The McNeese State transfer walked his first batter to make it 5-4, but cooled anxiety with a subsequent three-pitch strikeout. Louisville pinch-hitter George Baker, with a chance to hand Tech another chilling ninth-inning loss, chopped a powerful grounder to Michel, who flipped it to LeJeune at first base for the final out.
The Hokies return to English on Saturday for a chance to clinch the series against the Cardinals (3 p.m. ET, ACCNX). Jake Marciano (2.96 ERA) will start across from Louisville’s Parker Detmers (3.94 ERA) or Jack Brown (4.24 ERA).
Box Score: Virginia Tech 5, No. 16 Louisville 4