BLACKSBURG, Va. (Interstat) — Brett Renfrow pitched 7 1/3 strong innings and Owen Petrich hit a two-run home run to power the Virginia Tech Hokies to a 5-1 victory over the Clemson Tigers on Thursday afternoon at English Field.

The Hokies improved to 28-22 overall and 1-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference series opener. Clemson fell to 30-24.

The game was scoreless through the first two innings before each team scratched across a run in the third. Virginia Tech tied it in the bottom of the first on a single by Chris Cooke that scored Ben Grube, then the Hokies stranded a runner at third in the first and second innings.

Clemson took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third when shortstop Tyler Lichtenberger drove in a run with a single through the right side, scoring right fielder Jarrod Crighton after Crighton doubled to right. Lichtenberger also stole second, but the Tigers could not add more.

The pivotal moment came in the bottom of the sixth with the score tied 1-1. Hokies shortstop Pete Daniel tripled to center field, driving in first baseman Braden Gates from first base to give Virginia Tech a 2-1 lead. After a pitching change, Hudson Lutterman, pinch-hitting for left fielder Sam Hurt, doubled to left-center, scoring Daniel to make it 3-1. Petrich followed by launching a two-run homer to left field, his fifth of the season, scoring Lutterman and extending the lead to 5-1.

Renfrow (7-1) allowed six hits and one earned run while striking out five over 7 1/3 innings. He did not walk a batter and retired nine straight at one point. Reliever Preston Crowl worked 1 2/3 perfect innings with two strikeouts to close the game.

Clemson starter Dane Moehler pitched two scoreless innings before giving way to Danny Nelson, who threw 3 1/3 innings and allowed two earned runs with three strikeouts. Brendon Bennett and Moehler also saw action for the Tigers.

For Virginia Tech, Grube had two hits and scored once, while Cooke drove in a run. Gibson added a double.

For Clemson, Lichtenberger had the only RBI. Center fielder David Savoie had two hits, and Crighton doubled and scored.

The Tigers managed only six hits and left five runners on base. The Hokies collected eight hits and walked four times.

Virginia Tech will host Clemson again Friday and Saturday in the remaining games of the series.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Virginia Tech 7, Clemson 4. Interstat’s ELO system had given Clemson a 57.60 percent probability to win.