After a frustrating stretch of four straight ACC losses — including a sweep at the hands of Florida State and a tough Game 1 defeat to No. 12 North Carolina — Virginia Tech baseball came into Saturday with a chip on its shoulder and something to prove. And prove it they did.
The Hokies exploded offensively in Game 2 of the series, launching five home runs to power their way to an emphatic 11-7 win over the Tar Heels in front of the home crowd in Blacksburg. Facing UNC’s standout pitcher Aidan Haugh, who had been nearly untouchable all season, Virginia Tech wasted no time asserting dominance.
The fireworks began immediately. In the first inning alone, Tech launched three homers — a two-run shot from Henry Cooke, followed by a two-run blast from Sam Tackett, and a solo homer from David McCann. Just like that, the Hokies were up 5-0. Tensions flared early after Tackett’s emphatic bat-flip toward the Tar Heels’ dugout, sparking an exchange with UNC catcher Luke Stevenson. Umpires issued warnings to both teams, but the Hokies kept their focus where it mattered: at the plate.
North Carolina tried to mount a response with a three-run double in the top of the second, narrowing the gap to 5-3. But Tech answered right back, as Ben Watson crushed a two-run homer in the bottom half of the inning, knocking Haugh out of the game after just 1.2 innings — his shortest outing of the season. The right-hander allowed seven earned runs, six hits, and four homers before being pulled.
The back-and-forth continued, but the Hokies always had an answer. In the eighth, Jared Davis delivered the final blow with a two-run bomb to pad Tech’s lead. Jake Marciano started the game for the Hokies, going 4.2 innings with six strikeouts, while Grant Manning closed the door with a strong 4.1-inning relief performance.
With the win, Virginia Tech improved to 25-14 overall and 10-10 in ACC play, earning their seventh victory over a ranked opponent this season. The rubber match of the series is set for Sunday at 1 p.m., with momentum now clearly swinging in the Hokies’ favor.