According to head coach John Szefc, Virginia Tech baseball left its three-game set against Rutgers a different team.
The series ended on Sunday with a dogged 4-3 Tech win through late-February snow, but before that, it took a 10th-inning walk-off home run Saturday to respond from a 16-1 loss on Friday. It was the Hokies’ first series win after losing the weekend’s opening game since beating UNC Greensboro a year ago.
“For us to be able to come back and win that thing the way we did yesterday, and then today, playing in what this weather became, I think we grew up an awful lot this weekend,” Szefc said.
“Even though we lost 16-1 in the first game, nobody’s mindset changed,” said reliever Luke Craytor, whose ironman 3 ⅔-inning close put Rutgers away in Game 3. “Everybody knew what we had to do.”
Tech (6-1) received a second straight formidable start from freshman pitcher Ethan Grim, with the righty tossing three scoreless innings before giving up consecutive Scarlet Knights (5-3) doubles to hand them a 2-1 lead in the fourth. He finished with six strikeouts, two earned runs and five hits allowed across 18 batters.
Asked if he expected Grim to be as successful as he’s been through two starts, Szefc said no.
“He’s better [than expected]. And he’ll be better, you’ll see,” Szefc said. “He’s progressing. I think he’ll be better the next time out, the next time out and the next time out.”
Grim’s offense produced four hits and three runs just after his fourth-inning removal, giving Tech a 4-2 lead to protect.
And because of Craytor’s close, they did. The senior held Rutgers to one baserunner — a Ryan Jaros single that was eventually stranded — and struck out four of their last six batters.
“Craytor was tremendous,” Szefc said. “He was the player of the game. He was a big difference for us, struck out four, 24 out of 34 pitches for strikes and didn’t walk a batter. That’s the difference in that game.”
Craytor initially entered in the sixth inning with one out, the bases loaded, Charlie Meglio at the plate — who was 5-for-9 in the series coming into Sunday — and Tech ahead by a run. He delivered two strikes before Meglio grounded into a 6-1 double play. The Charlottesville native celebrated off the mound but was humble about his performance later — which included 10 straight outs interrupted by one baserunner.
“It was good,” Craytor said. “There were some pitches I didn’t execute as well as I could have, but it ended up working out. … That’s kind of my role. That’s what we practice for.”
“That was your turning point in the game,” Szefc said of the double play.
Even with intervals of snow cascading over English Field, Tech’s defense was stout behind Craytor. It finished errorless, but highlights included Ethan Ball’s leaning-backwards 4-3 throw in the eighth and a scoop-and-spin hurl to first by Pete Daniel for the game’s penultimate out.
Rutgers finished just 7-for-23 from the plate, struck out 11 times and hit just 4-for-18 with runners on base. Tech lefty Brendan Yagesh pitched a hitless three outs between the fifth and sixth frames, after Texas A&M transfer Peyton Smith surrendered Rutgers’ third and final run on a Trey Wells double in the fifth. Kansas State transfer Brody Roe failed to get an out before being relieved by Craytor in the sixth.
The Hokies’ offensive numbers weren’t gaudy, but a 5-for-11 mark with runners in scoring position was encouraging after a difficult first six games in that area. They received multi-hit games from Sam Gates (2-for-4), Pete Daniel (2-for-4) and Hudson Lutterman (2-for-3), with Sam Grube, Ethan Ball and Treyson Hughes each adding an RBI.
The winning score came in a three-run fourth for Tech, which started with singles from Gates and Daniel around Anderson French’s fielder’s choice knock, which essentially replaced Gates on the basepaths. French advanced to second base before Rutgers removed its starter, Chris Sand, for righty Zach Gleason.
Hughes doubled off of Gleason’s fourth pitch before Lutterman singled off his fifth, with both of them plating a runner. Still with just one out, Grube laid a sacrifice bunt to advance Hughes home from third and put the Hokies up 4-2, though Rutgers got one back in the next inning with Wells’ double.
Tech’s first run was in the third frame, when Lutterman hit a single and then twice advanced in sacrifice before Ball singled him home. It was the first time that the Hokies scored before their opponents through seven games.
They should’ve had runs earlier, too. In the second inning, with two outs and a pair of RISP, Hughes lifted a ball that the wind jerked in and out of foul territory, but ultimately landed fair — though it was called foul by third-plate umpire Jose Matamoros.
Two runs were wiped off the board for Tech, and Szefc was aggravated. The call even stood after a review.
“The third-base umpire said he didn’t see it, which I don’t quite understand because he’s standing right there,” Szefc said. “Then he said he did see it, so I don’t really know. All I know is that’s why you have review and we need to have better review. I’ll leave it at that. A lot better review.”
The Hokies ultimately didn’t need those runs, however, eventually walking away with a 4-3 win and their second series victory of the year. They head to James Madison for a midweek game next, with first pitch at 3 p.m. ET (ESPN+) on Tuesday.
Box Score: Virginia Tech 4, Rutgers 3