Virginia Tech rallies late in wild eighth to triumph over JMU, 7-5

By Nathan Andrews

Staff Writer

April 26, 2023

BLACKSBURG - Virginia Tech secured its first win in a mid-week game in what felt like forever — and they did it in exciting fashion.

JMU walked the Hokies a grand total 11 times on Tuesday night as Virginia Tech took the victory, 7-5. After having recent trouble against non-conference teams, VT got back on track against the Dukes in a nighttime thriller. 

The Hokies broke the silence in the bottom of the third, dropping three runs during the frame. Clay Grady dropped a perfect squeeze bunt with two runners on and dusted the throw to first which allowed Sam Tackett to score. Just like that, the Hokies were on the board. 

Later that inning, John Szefc pulled a couple of rabbits out of his top hat. With runners on first and third, the Hokies executed a double steal to perfection which brought in Carson Jones for Virginia Tech’s second run of the day. The Hokies found abundant success on the bases on Tuesday, recording two steals and having two runs come home due to swipes. 

The same situation presented itself later that frame, and Grady crossed the plate for Virginia Tech’s third run of the inning. Although the second double-steal of the inning was only successful for one runner, the Hokies still collected a pair of runs.

Jones, who leads the team with nine snags on 10 attempts, was efficient at getting on and around the bases. He tallied two hits and one stolen base during the game against JMU, and was an important part of the gutsy play call for two double-steals in one inning. 

“We were trying to play aggressive there,” Jones said to reporters after the game. “I think it’s part of our game. I think we have guys that can run really well, and it showed there. It shows what we’re able to do on the field. It was awesome because the crowd got into it and that’s what we feed off of at times.”

Going into the fourth, the Hokies were up by three when the Dukes responded by scoring one run on a bloop single off the bat of right fielder Jaylon Lee. They only managed to put one run on the scoreboard, despite hanging in for a lengthy two-out rally. For the most part, Tech starter Kiernan Higgins kept the JMU hitters quiet through the first portion of the night.

The Buffalo native made quick work of the Dukes, as he breezed through four innings of work while giving up just one earned run. Higgins struck out four batters, and only allowed three hits in the start.

“I got off to a slow start honestly,” Higgins said. “I was throwing all over the place. I felt sluggish and slow out there. I knew the guys behind me would do fine, so it’s just a matter of making them put it in play and getting the outs as quick as we can.”

There’s a big reason that the Hokies’ staff have confidence in the defense behind it. Virginia Tech left a donut in the error column on the night, as the infield and outfield were sharp in its outing against the Dukes. 

David Bryant made a spectacular play down the third base line, as he bare handed a bunt attempt and hurled it to first to record the out. Filling in for DeMartini is a tall task, but the fifth-year veteran has played the part exceptionally well. Bryant’s play turned the heads of everyone at English Field on Tuesday. 

“It was sick,” Higgins said of Bryant’s highlight. “DeMar [Carson DeMartini] being out hurts us a little bit, but Deebo [David Bryant] is a graduate guy coming in. You know you’re gonna get good defensive plays behind you. He’s gonna be a smooth guy out there, he’s not gonna panic.” 

Even with the amount of early success by the Hokies, the Dukes weren’t phased. They put up a two-spot in the sixth and seventh innings, taking over the lead 5-3 when it mattered. Five of JMU’s 10 hits came during the two innings. First baseman Kyle Novak helped the cause as much as he could. He tallied four singles and drove in a run on Tuesday night.

Seemingly when all hope was lost for VT, the Hokies still had their best game in their arsenal. The bottom of the eighth is where things started to get dicey, as the Dukes quickly recorded two outs. With their backs against the wall, the Hokies started to play the slow game and bounce off JMU’s mistakes.

With the help of a balk, two bases-loaded walks and another throw beaten out on an infield single by Grady, the Hokies poured on four runs during the frame. The Dukes went through three different pitchers during the inning, as they issued five walks and hit a batter. 

With the two-run lead, southpaw Henry Weycker came in to grab the save during the ninth as the Hokies completed the comeback win at home. It wasn’t an offensive game for Virginia Tech at all, as the Hokies only recorded six hits on the day. However, scrappiness allowed VT to prevail on Tuesday. 

“You need to win games whether they’re ugly or not,” Szefc said. “That was kind of a strange win, maybe, but we’ll take it.”

JMU moves down to 23-17 from the loss on the road. The Dukes will look to bounce back when they travel to Boone, North Carolina to take on Appalachian State for its weekend series. 

As for the Hokies, they improve to 24-14 after the win against the Dukes. They now turn to a pivotal ACC series starting this Friday, as they host North Carolina at home.