The Virginia Tech baseball team lost a close game, 8-7, to No. 23 Boston College during the Eagles’ annual ALS Awareness Game at Fenway Park on April 11.
The game was important for both teams as it marked the Eagles’ 14th annual event supporting ALS awareness and was a key Atlantic Coast Conference matchup. Virginia Tech nearly clinched the road series but ultimately came up short by one run.
Senior catcher Henry Cooke led the Hokies with three hits, including a triple in the first inning that helped put Virginia Tech ahead early. Hudson Lutterman added two hits from the cleanup spot, while Ethan Ball, Ethan Gibson, and Owen Petrich also had multi-hit games. The Hokies took an early lead after Cooke’s triple and Lutterman’s RBI single in the first inning. They extended their advantage with three runs in the second inning on four hits, highlighted by Petrich’s RBI double off Fenway’s Green Monster and Ball’s two-run home run.
Starting pitcher Brett Renfrow held Boston College scoreless through three innings before allowing four runs in the fourth. Gunnar Johnson of Boston College drove in three runs with a bases-clearing double to tie the game. Johnson later gave BC its first lead with a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning before strong defense from Sam Gates and Virginia Tech limited further damage.
Virginia Tech tied it again at five apiece after Nick Locurto advanced around the bases on a walk, single, and wild pitch in the seventh inning. However, Boston College responded with three runs in their half of that frame thanks to consecutive singles and capitalizing on hit batters and sacrifices.
The Hokies rallied late when Locurto delivered a two-out triple for two RBIs in the eighth but could not bring him home as he represented the tying run just ninety feet away. In their final chance during the ninth inning, Cooke and Lutterman reached base but were left stranded following defensive plays by BC pitcher John Kwiatkowski and catcher Gunnar Johnson—who ended proceedings by picking off Cooke at third base after a strikeout.
Boston College starter Brady Miller pitched six innings with six strikeouts while Johnson contributed significantly both offensively—driving in five RBIs—and defensively with his late-game pickoff play.
Virginia Tech will conclude its series against Boston College on Sunday afternoon at Eddie Pellagrini Diamond at Harrington Athletics Village.
