Strand Homers Carry Duke Past Virginia Tech

Saturday, March 21

Blacksburg, Va.

3 p.m.

Duke University

Virginia Tech

Photo by: Duke Athletics

Strand Homers Carry Duke Past Virginia Tech

3/21/2026 6:28:00 PM | Baseball

BLACKSBURG, Va. – A pair of massive Matthew Strand home runs lifted Duke baseball to an 8-6 victory at Virginia Tech on Saturday. Strand's first blast, traveling 427 feet, extended the Blue Devils' lead from 4-3 to 6-3 in the seventh while his second snapped a 6-6 tie in the ninth and provided the game-winning run.

Duke came back from 1-0 and 3-1 deficits and overcame losing a 6-4 lead in the eighth with Strand's second homer in the ninth.

Strand has multiple home run games in two of his last four contests as he also belted two in Duke's 20-10 victory against Miami on March 15.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Both teams scored early, with Virginia Tech opening its ledger in the bottom of the first with a sacrifice fly. Duke responded right back, with Jake Lambdin tallying a two-out ground-rule double in the top of the second, driving in Coltin Quagliano from second.
Duke starter Jack Hedrick worked around a lone walk in the bottom half of the second, working a pair of popups and a grounder to post a clean frame.
Hedrick was tagged with two more runs, in the bottom of the third, after a two-out double.
The Blue Devils knotted the score at 3-3 in the top of the sixth. Jeff Lougee started the rally with an RBI single through the right side, scoring Collin Anderson. Quagliano tied the game, crossing home plate after a fielding error.
Duke kept the momentum going with a quick three-up, three-down bottom of the sixth. The Blue Devils pushed across three more in the top of the seventh to take a 6-3 advantage. After a strikeout started the seventh, RJ Hamilton was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a wild pitch. A Kaden Smith double plated Hamilton before Matthew Strand hit a massive, 427-foot home run down the left-field line for the three-run lead.
The Hokies chipped away with a run in the seventh on an RBI double to make it a 6-4 game.
Virginia Tech evened the game at 6-6 with a pair of runs in the eighth. A Henry Cooke single combined with a throwing error plated Pete Daniel while a Sam Grube sacrifice fly delivered Cooke to knot the contest.
Strand delivered the game-winning shot with two outs in the ninth. After a strikeout started the frame, Hamilton reached on a bunt single. A groundout moved Hamilton to second and he came home on Strand's 401-foot shot to left.
In the bottom of the ninth, Virginia Tech put two on with a pair of walks, but Ben Dean shut the door with consecutive strikeouts.
Dean picked up the victory to improve to 4-0 after registering the final six outs and surrendering just two walks and fanning three.
Hedrick went 3.0 innings and yielded three runs on four hits and four walks with two whiffs. Peter Lemke tossed the next 3.2 and limited Virginia Tech to one run on two hits while striking out two. Aiden O'Connell allowed two runs on two hits and a walk before Dean registered the final six outs.