A Dramatic Walk-Off Secures Virginia Tech’s Second ACC Series Win
In a thrilling and back-and-forth game, Hudson Lutterman delivered a clutch moment in the bottom of the ninth inning. With the game tied at five, he hit a 359-foot solo home run, securing Virginia Tech’s second ACC series victory. The walk-off shot not only ended the game but also showcased Lutterman’s ability to deliver under pressure.
“He gets big hits for us,” said Virginia Tech head coach after the game. “I think he hit a home run yesterday. Obviously, the wind’s helping a little bit here today — I don’t know if he got that one as well as he thought, but it’s a big hit either way.”
The game started with a scoreless first inning, but the Hokies quickly applied pressure on the Panthers. Willie Hurt opened the scoring with a single that turned into a double on a stolen base. Sam Gates then drove in a run with an RBI single. Gates finished the day with two hits and an RBI, while Hurt was just getting started.
Across the game, Hurt went 1-for-1, adding three walks and three runs. His performance was praised by Lutterman, who said, “When he gets opportunities, he produces. He’s good offensively, defensively, hustles. Just an all-around good teammate.”
Pitt responded in the third inning when Caden Dulin hit a 392-foot home run to left-center field, giving the Panthers a 3-1 lead. Virginia Tech starter Ethan Grim allowed three runs in 3.2 innings, giving up six hits and two walks.
Virginia Tech countered in the fourth inning. After Hurt reached base on a walk, he advanced to third on a Gates single. Petrich then scored the run with a deep fly ball to right field. Aiden Robertson took over in the top of the fourth, ending the inning with an out.
In the fifth inning, Robertson gave up a bloop double and a line drive single that left the bat at 114 mph. Preston Crowl came in and shut down the Panthers, allowing no runs in three scoreless innings. Crowl’s performance was key, as he had thrown 88 pitches across his appearances on Friday and Sunday, allowing just two hits and a run in five innings.
Trailing 4-2, the Hokies needed a big swing to turn the game around. In the seventh inning, Ethan Gibson doubled and Willie Hurt walked, giving Owen Petrich the opportunity to change the game. Petrich fouled back a fastball on the first pitch and then launched a 421-foot home run to dead center, giving Virginia Tech a 5-4 lead.
“That kind of flipped the whole game,” said the coach about the home run. “Give him credit — he had four RBIs, three on that one swing. We score six, he drives in four — that’s a pretty productive day.”
Brendan Yagesh took the mound in the eighth inning and helped keep Pitt off the scoreboard temporarily. However, in the ninth inning, the Panthers tied the game with a hit-by-pitch and a groundout, followed by a two-out double from Joey Baran. That set the stage for Lutterman’s dramatic walk-off home run.
“I got a good scouting report,” Lutterman said. “I went down 0-2, he bounced two sliders, and I assumed he’d come back with a heater—and he did.”
Despite struggling with power all season, Virginia Tech has found ways to get timely hits to win games. “It shows we can always come back,” said Petrich. “We have the ability to get those big hits when we need them.”
With a 9-12 record in ACC play, Virginia Tech is in an interesting position given their strength of schedule. Computer metrics favor the Hokies, and they have a favorable schedule ahead. “As weird as this sounds, at 9-12, we’re a squeeze bunt away at Stanford from being 10-11 and winning our home series with more home series left,” said the coach. “As up and down as it’s been, I still think we’re in a pretty good place to finish in a good spot.”
Virginia Tech will travel to Richmond, Va., to play VCU on Tuesday, April 21 at 1 p.m. ET. After that, the Hokies are back at home for a three-game set against N.C. State starting on Friday, April 24 at 6 p.m. ET. The VCU game will be available on ESPN+, while all three games of the NC State series will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.
