BLACKSBURG, Va. (Interstat) — Virginia Tech scored eight unanswered runs, powered by a trio of RBI doubles from Eddie Grube, to overcome an early deficit and defeat William & Mary 9-2 in the season opener for both teams Friday at English Field.

The Hokies, favored heavily by pregame projections, started sluggishly but methodically chipped away at the Tribe’s lead before breaking the game open late. William & Mary struck first in the second inning when designated hitter Liam O’Neil launched a two-run homer to left field, scoring Charlie Iriotakis who had singled.

Virginia Tech answered immediately in the bottom half of the frame. A walk, two wild pitches and a hit batter loaded the bases for Chris Hughes, whose sacrifice fly to center scored Carson French. The Hokies then tied the game in the fourth inning. Grube doubled and later scored on a double by Gehrig Petrich, after Hughes had driven in another run with a groundout.

The game turned decisively in the fifth. French led off with a solo home run to right field, giving Virginia Tech its first lead at 4-2. Later in the inning, Grube smashed his second double of the day, driving in Sam Daniel to extend the advantage to 5-2.

Grube delivered the decisive blow in the seventh inning. With two on and two out, he ripped his third double of the contest, this time to left-center, plating two more runs to push the Hokies’ lead to 8-2. Virginia Tech added a final run in the eighth on an RBI single by Henry Ball.

Virginia Tech’s bullpen proved dominant, silencing the William & Mary offense after the early homer. Reliever Evan Crowl earned the win after taking over in the third inning and pitching 4 2/3 scoreless frames, allowing just three hits while striking out five. Tribe starter Jackson Calveric did not factor in the decision, exiting in the third inning after walking three and hitting two batters.

The Hokies capitalized on opportunities, scoring nine runs on nine hits, aided by eight walks, three hit batters and two sacrifice flies. William & Mary managed only six hits and struck out 16 times as a team. The Tribe also had two runners caught stealing.

With the victory, Virginia Tech begins the season 1-0, while William & Mary starts 0-1. The two teams are scheduled for a doubleheader on Saturday to continue the series.

The most important part of the game was Virginia Tech’s two-run fifth inning, which transformed a narrow one-run lead into a more commanding three-run advantage. After French’s solo homer broke the 2-2 tie, the Hokies continued to pressure the Tribe bullpen. Sam Daniel followed with a single, and Eddie Grube then delivered his second RBI double of the game to score Daniel. This sequence not only extended the lead but also demonstrated the sustained offensive momentum shifting permanently in Virginia Tech’s favor, setting the stage for their later breakout innings. The Tribe offense, after O’Neil’s second-inning homer, would not seriously threaten again.