Four of the six runs Virginia Tech baseball needed to capture its second ACC series of the year were courtesy of two hits in the final three innings against Pitt.
Owen Petrich launched a go-ahead three-run home run in the seventh, giving the Hokies their first lead since the second inning. However, the Panthers tied the game in the ninth via Joey Baran’s RBI double.
It was the second straight blown save for Tech, this time from Brendan Yagesh, who was removed for Luke Craytor and his inning-ending strikeout. If the Hokies were going to win their second ACC series of the year, it would need to end much like their first: a walk-off win over Duke to rebound from a blown save in that series finale.
Hudson Lutterman delivered exactly that, going down 0-2, taking two balls and then jacking a game-winning homer into the English Field jetstream for the 6-5 final. It was Lutterman’s second home run of the series and eighth of the year, tying Ethan Ball for the team lead.
“He gets big hits for us,” Hokies head coach John Szefc said of Lutterman. “Obviously, the wind is helping us a little bit today, but it’s a big hit either way. At worst, it’s a double, and it puts a guy in scoring position in the ninth. … It never even gets there if Petrich doesn’t drive in four today.”
Lutterman did not start Sunday’s game for Tech (19-19, 9-12 ACC) despite his Game 2 home run and usual cleanup role. Szefc said Willie Hurt and Nick Locurto — who played Lutterman’s usual positions at designated hitter and left fielder, respectively — matched up better against Pitt (24-14, 7-11) starter Drew Lafferty.
Locurto and Hurt reached in all four of their combined plate appearances against Lafferty before the righty was removed in the fourth. Lutterman pinch-hit for Pete Daniel in the fifth and moved to first base (where Ethan Gibson was, who replaced Daniel at shortstop).
The Knoxville, Tenn., native went 0-for-2 with two contact outs before his decisive homer. He’s known as the best fastball hitter on the team, which is precisely what he found off Pitt right-hander Andrew Luczak for the game-winner. Preston Crowl said Tech knew what Luczak — who pitched two outs on Saturday — had coming.
“We had the guy tipped, and Lutterman got the tip, got the swing off and you saw how that went,” Crowl said. “That’s just what he does.
“He’s a tough out in intersquads. He got a few hits on me. It feels like whatever you throw him, no matter how you mix him, he’s going to be on time for your fastball.”
Petrich’s earlier three-run bomb was the impetus, coming in a seventh inning in which Tech was down 4-2 and desperate for offense.
Panthers lefty Vincent Spizzoucco got Lutterman to fly out to start the inning’s bottom side. Ethan Gibson shot a double into sharp left field, then advanced to third base on an error by catcher Sebastian Pisacreta. Willie Hurt walked, Sam Gates struck out and then Petrich homered for the Hokies’ only two-out hit of the game (1-for-9).
“I had just fouled back a fastball. I had just missed it,” Petrich said. “I knew if I got it again, I’d be able to handle it. I got another one and I was able to hit it out.”
“He flipped the whole game,” Szefc said.
Tech only scored two of its six runs without a home run on Sunday. Gates’ RBI single off Lafferty in the second plated Hurt, and Petrich added a sacrifice fly in the fourth for the first of his four RBI.
The Saint Joseph’s transfer is batting .375 in April, with six of his nine doubles and two of his four home runs coming this month. In March — his career introduction to ACC play — he hit just .125.
“You can’t really miss pitches against ACC pitchers,” Petrich said. “Just working and playing every day gets you used to it. … It’s been a really good last couple of weeks. Putting a lot of work in. I’ve been in the cages with the coaches, trusting that it doesn’t matter who I’m facing — I can get the job done when I need to.
Hurt, a true freshman, reached base four times with three walks and a single, but it was a thin day for the Hokies’ offense outside of him, Petrich and Lutterman.
That trio was a combined 3-for-8 with two homers, four walks, five RBI and five runs. The rest of the team was 6-for-24 with one extra-base hit (on an Ethan Gibson double), two walks, one RBI and one run.
Tech’s pitching kept it in the game. Ethan Grim started for the first time since March 13 at Virginia, when he allowed one earned run over three innings before exiting with an injury that bothered him up until last Tuesday’s no-hitter against Radford.
He worked his way through it in short-term relief roles, eventually allowing three earned runs over 3 ⅔ innings in his return to starting. Panthers shortstop Caden Dulin (4-for-5, three RBI) shot a three-run homer in the third inning following a Julian Irizarry walk and AJ Nessler single, putting Pitt ahead 3-1.
After Tech plated Hurt in the fourth, the Panthers reclaimed their two-run lead in the fifth off Aiden Robertson. The righty surrendered a Dulin double and Lorenzo Carrier RBI single to make it 4-2. Robertson entered to grab the final out of the fourth but was removed after his fifth-inning earned run.
Preston Crowl followed with three scoreless innings, yielding one hit and one walk across 43 pitches after registering 45 in Friday’s 11-6 win.
“If we’re going to be good down the stretch, you need Preston to do those kinds of things,” Szefc said. “He pitches twice in a weekend, both times he pitched, we won.”
Craytor earned his second save of the series and moved to 4-0 on the season. Yagesh, as costly as his earned run was, finished with just one over 1 ⅔ innings.
The Hokies needed to beat Pitt to stay in the race for an NCAA regional bid. Their 19-19 record may suggest they’re out of it, but they will likely remain top 50 in the RPI come the conclusion of Sunday’s games, meaning they’re well-positioned with a strong finish.
Virginia Tech has VCU (22-17, 11-7 A-10) next, with first pitch coming from The Diamond in Richmond on Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
“As weird as this sounds, as we sit here 9-12 in conference … winning our home series and with more home series than road series to go, I still think we’re in a pretty good place,” Szefc said. “As weird as the season’s been, and as many injuries and ups and downs as we’ve had, I still think we’re in a pretty good place to finish in a good place.”
Box Score: Virginia Tech 6, Pitt 5