Entering the ACC Tournament, the Virginia Tech baseball team needed to make a deep run or even win the tournament if they had visions of playing in the NCAA Tournament in a couple of weeks. At 30-24, the Hokies looked like a lock for the 64-team field until another mid-season collapse happened. After losing two out of three over the weekend to Virginia at home, Virginia Tech kicked off the conference tournament in Durham against Stanford.
The 12th-seeded Hokies got an outstanding pitching performance from four different hurlers in eliminating the 13th-seeded Cardinal to advance to the second round on Wednesday at 1 o'clock on the ACC Network against fifth-seeded Clemson. Jake Marciano got the start and worked 4.2 innings before Preston Crowl, Cameron LeJeune, and Grant Manning, who worked 2.2 innings for his fifth save of the season.
After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the third, Hudson Lutterman tied the game for Virginia Tech in the home half with an RBI double to plate Cam Pittman. The Hokies took a 3-1 lead in one inning on an RBI single from Jackson Cherry and Pittman.
After Stanford homered in the fifth, the Hokies opened up a 6-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth when Pittman drove in a run on a fielder's choice, and Clay Grady followed with a two-run single for a four-run lead. Mycah Jordan added a solo home run in the seventh before the Cardinals pushed across two runs in the ninth for the 7-4 final.
At 31-24, Virginia Tech will look to continue their stay in Durham on Wednesday afternoon against the Tigers who are in line to host a regional in a couple of weeks. A win over Clemson would be another step in what the Hokies are hoping is a miracle run in North Carolina.