Wates’ homer lifts Hokies past Cavs

BLACKSBURG — Baseball coaches know the impact of a home run.

With two teams all but living on the long ball Thursday, the most powerful swing in the game ruled the roost.

Virginia Tech, fighting to remain alive for ACC tournament consideration, walked off with a 5-4 victory in 10 innings over No. 10 Virginia after Austin Wates connected on a solo homer.

The win snapped a 12-game losing streak against the Cavaliers for the Hokies (31-20, 11-16 ACC).

“Wates is a good player and he put a good swing on a fastball,” Virginia coach Brian O’Connor said. “The game was pretty much won by home runs and they hit the most important one.”

Virginia (38-11-1, 15-10-1) used a solo homer from catcher Franco Valdes in its half of the ninth to keep the contest alive.

Tyler Wilson, who came in out of the bullpen for starter Matt Packer, let the game slip away on a one-out offering to Wates.

Virginia certainly had its chances long before Wates ended the contest — the Cavaliers stranded nine runners on base.

UVa also committed three errors behind Packer, who started in place of Danny Hultzen as O’Connor looked to save the rookie for the ACC tournament and get extra work in for Packer.

“He pitched pretty good,” O’Connor said. “I just wanted to change things up and we were playing one day sooner than we normally do in the league.

“Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to win the game because we didn’t make all the plays we needed to in the field.”

Virginia took a 1-0 lead on the first pitch of the game as Jarrett Parker connected on his team-leading 15th homer of the season.

Virginia Tech — which needs a sweep and three losses by Duke against Georgia Tech to make the postseason — rallied back ,scoring two in the third and a pair of opportunistic runs in the fifth after third baseman Steven Proscia was charged with three errors.

The Cavaliers added lone runs in the fifth and sixth but failed to score again until Valdes chased Virginia Tech starter Rhett Ballard from the contest with his leadoff homer in the ninth.

The two teams will play again today at 5:30 p.m. in the second game of the series.