WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Aggressors early and dogged survivors late, Virginia Tech defeated No. 16 Wake Forest to secure its second straight ranked ACC series on Saturday.
The Hokies (19-8, 6-5 ACC) affirmed themselves yet again, winning 11-8 for their fourth straight victory and rising above .500 in conference play for the first time this season. It came in front of a regular-season program record 3,559 onlookers for the Demon Deacons (20-8, 7-4) at David F. Couch Ballpark — fitting for the Hokies, who, according to reliever Grant Manning, itched to put the world on notice.
“I learned [this series] that we stand above some of these guys that think they’re the best of the best,” Manning said. “[Wake Forest was] preseason ranked really high up. People were saying that they have some of the top talents in the league, and we come into their house and take it from them. It feels really, really good.
“Hopefully we’ll be able to have other teams take notice now, and hopefully the media will take notice. We’re a great ball club with a great [pitching] staff, and we’ll be able to take it to a lot of teams.”
Manning (one earned run over 4 ⅓-innings) delivered an outrageously lengthy and dramatic save to keep Wake Forest away, and was the final spark Tech needed to take two straight ranked series for the first time since 2022. Before last weekend, it hadn’t won one since 2023.
A ranked sweep would be its first since doing so to No. 15 Pitt in 2021. The series finale has yet to be played, but it will be a key point in Tech’s argument for a national ranking.
Like Game 1 on Friday, the Demon Deacons unraveled early with less-than-ideal starting pitching — this time sophomore Matthew Dallas — to be smothered by eight runs by the end of the third inning. The Hokies notched seven hits (7-for-15) across that span, all of which came with two outs. Four were recorded consecutively in the opening frame, contributing to six total in the first two innings
One came as a Ben Watson homer, his second of the year, to manufacture two runs in the second inning. The graduate student is slashing .317/.475/.556 in ACC play with 11 RBI.
Wake Forest reliever Luke Schmolke took over for Dallas (seven earned runs in two innings) midway through the third. Schmolke allowed three runs before the inning’s end, but didn’t surrender any earned runs until a walk of his crossed home in the fifth — after he came out of the game.
Tech starter Jake Marciano dealt in the first two frames, even striking out the second side. He came undone in the third, though, surrendering a pair of two-run homers to halve the lead and warrant a switch to reliever Jacob Exum.
The junior allowed hits to five of the six batters he saw before his removal — including another two-run shot to cut the lead to two — and out came Andrew Sentlinger riding a terrific outing against Louisville last weekend.
A Luke Costello homer — to put his team within one run of a tie — was all the Demon Deacons could muster against Tech’s junior lefty over two dominant innings. It would’ve been longer, but Sentlinger (one hit allowed, 3 Ks) came out with an injury in the fifth after mustering a quick two outs. It was the first of two injuries that made the win difficult to totally enjoy for Tech.
Manning entered and closed the fifth without much difficulty, opening the sixth, where first baseman Garrett Michel suffered a leg injury following his two-RBI home run to deep center field.
After rounding the bases, Michel mocked Tech’s signature hammer celebration and hurt his leg while doing so. He carried a limp jog to first base the following side, but collapsed during warm ups and subsequently left the game.
Hokies head coach John Szefc was unable to provide updates on either player, somewhat disheartened after an otherwise celebratory day.
“It’s kind of a sour win, if there is such a thing,” Szefc said. “Just because we need everybody to be good. That’s a very costly win. I’ll just say that.”
With Wake Forest in control and Tech’s offense cooling down, there was an air of concern for the visitors before Michel’s two-run crack made it 11-7. Treyson Hughes scored off a wild pitch in the fifth to extend the Hokies’ lead to two, but the Demon Deacons — known for sudden plate explosions — were far from out of it, and Manning (7.45 ERA following the win) had struggled as of late.
But not on Saturday. Manning and the Hokies demonstrated a clinic in survival as Wake Forest managed just two hits in the final four innings, two of which — the seventh and ninth — ended in 1-2-3 fashion.
Kade Lewis homered in the eighth, which would’ve been more threatening had right fielder Sam Tackett not robbed Matt Scannell of a home run — not particularly deep at “The Couch,” which owns a 300-foot right-field wall — two batters earlier.
The redshirt senior energized his team with his wide receiver-esque leap-and-catch — a play his pitcher credited for Tech retiring five of Wake Forest’s last six batters.
“That was one of the most incredible plays that I’ve ever seen live, and we’ll be sure to buy him a good meal afterwards,” Manning said. “That changes the ballgame right there. Even though I gave up a homer later on, [that] helped minimize the damage. Sam has developed into a hell of a player. I always knew he was a hell of a player, but I’m glad that people are finally being able to take notice of that.”
It wasn’t Tackett’s day offensively (1-for-5), but the Hokies’ superstar was a force regardless. Henry Cooke (3-for-4), Watson (2-for-6, two RBI), Michel (2-for-3, three RBI) and Treyson Hughes (1-for-2, three walks) picked up the slack.
Hokies transfer pitcher Griffin Green (2.12 ERA) appeared in relief for Wake Forest in the last three innings, striking out six as he held his former team to a single hit. He anchored Friday pitching during the Hokies’ 2022 Super Regional run, and looked even better after missing last season to Tommy John surgery.
The entirety of the Demon Deacons’ lineup hit on Saturday, but just two — Lewis and Jack Winnay — recorded more than one. Despite homers by Matt Scannell, Lewis (two), Costello and Javar Williams, they failed to get over the hump or even reach it, coming within one run at most.
There was no shortage of Hokies celebration after the final out, but they’re aware of how much remains to play for in Game 3 on Sunday (5 p.m. ET, ACC Network).
“I’ve learned in this league, you don’t look too far ahead,” Szefc said. “Everybody’s good, whether you’re home or away, you just start playing for tomorrow. You’re happy with today, for sure. But as far as proving anything, I will say this, I think we’ve proven that we’re a tough nut to crack. We’re a tough team to deal with in this league.”
Box Score: Virginia Tech 11, No. 16 Wake Forest 8