Virginia Tech Beats JMU With Help From Stellar Defense
HARRISONBURG, Va. — Virginia Tech built an early lead and survived a late push from James Madison to secure a 5-4 win Tuesday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Park. The Hokies improved to 7-1 on the season behind timely hitting, bullpen escapes and two critical defensive plays in the final two innings.
Right-hander Ben Weber made the start for Virginia Tech and worked three innings, allowing three hits and two runs while striking out two. Weber kept the Dukes off balance early and handed the game to the bullpen with a multi-run lead intact.
𝘽𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚 '𝟐𝟐 😁
— Virginia Tech Baseball (@HokiesBaseball) February 24, 2026
≫ @DeltaDentalofVA #Hokies 🦃⚾️ pic.twitter.com/BU4pV3CKRq
Virginia Tech struck immediately in the top of the first. Sam Grube opened the game with a double to left, and Owen Petrich followed with an RBI triple to left-center to put the Hokies on the board. Ethan Ball added an RBI single later in the inning to extend the lead to 2-0.
The Hokies added two more in the third. Nick Locurto reached on a bunt single and later scored on Ball’s second RBI single of the afternoon. Henry Cook followed with a sacrifice bunt fielders choice.
James Madison began to chip away in the bottom of the third with a sacrifice fly. The Dukes cut the deficit to 4-2 in the fourth when a leadoff walk eventually came around to score on a wild pitch after Brody Roe entered in relief of Weber.
In the sixth, James Madison loaded the bases with one out, forcing Aiden Robertson into a high-leverage situation. Robertson responded with back-to-back strikeouts to strand all three runners and preserve a two-run lead.
“I thought the turning points were when Roe comes in with the bases loaded, and Robertson the same thing,” said Virginia Tech head coach. “They had the bases loaded two times and scored one run. If you’re doing that on the road, you’ve got a pretty good chance to win.”
The Hokies regained breathing room in the top of the sixth when Pete Daniel worked a 3-1 count and drove a fastball over the left-field wall for his first home run in a Virginia Tech uniform, extending the lead to 5-2. The solo shot proved to be the game-winning run.
“It was 3-1, good count,” Daniel said. “I’ve been missing fastballs the last two weekends, so I just made sure I was on time and early and caught it out in front.”
James Madison countered in the bottom of the seventh. After a leadoff single and a sacrifice bunt, Kellan Langley delivered an RBI single to center. Josh Seguin followed with another RBI single to trim the deficit to 5-4.
With momentum shifting, Virginia Tech relied on its defense to protect the lead.
In the eighth inning, with a runner on third and two outs, Sam Gates — starting in center field with Treyson Hughes sidelined due to sickness — made a sliding catch in right-center field to end the inning and strand the tying run.
“He’s basically showing everybody he can play center field too,” Szefc said. “That’s a game-saving play.”
"Just a dog, man," Daniel added. "It feels like anybody can play anywhere.”
James Madison mounted one final threat in the ninth after two singles put runners on first and second with one out, Szefc turned to sidearm closer Peyton Smith. The sidearm right-hander induced a ground ball to shortstop with two outs and runners on second and third.
Earlier in the eighth, Szefc inserted Ethan Gibson as a defensive substitution at first base. That decision proved critical. Gibson dove to his right to secure the throw and recorded the unassisted groundout to end the game, stranding the tying run at third.
“I give Smith credit — he comes out cold as hell and he’s throwing strikes,” Szefc said.
Virginia Tech finished with nine hits, including two from Grube and Ball. James Madison recorded 10 hits but went 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 runners.
The Hokies used five relievers in the game, combining to limit damage despite consistent traffic on the bases.
Now 7-1, Virginia Tech heads to Texas this weekend for a three-game stretch against SEC competition.
“It’s always good to be 7-1,” Daniel said. “Only better would be 8-0. But we’ll take it. Just excited to play good competition.”
-6a5b43e289498e1daf5a7229ef5b8a73.jpeg "Josh Poslusny")
Joshua Poslusny - who goes by Poz - is a Radford University sophomore in the School of Communication. He graduated from Ocean Springs High School in Mississippi in 2024. He has previously done work for The Tech Lunch Pail, Tech Sideline, and Sons of Saturday, among others. He specializes in baseball coverage, which he has been doing for the last year. He also has experience covering football, basketball, and softball.