Hokie ClubNOTRE DAME, Ind. – With left-hander Jake Marciano toeing 116 pitches on Saturday during the longest start of his freshman season, the Virginia Tech baseball team pitched its way past Notre Dame, 6-1, leveling the teams’ ACC series at Frank Eck Baseball Stadium.
Marciano set a rookie season high with nine strikeouts, allowing one unearned run through the duration of his six and two-thirds innings on the bump. The first-year southpaw scattered six hits (all singles) and walked one while making three-plus passes through the Irish lineup, dotting 76 strikes to improve to 4-0 this season (eight appearances, seven starts).
Grant Manning picked up the seven-out save for Virginia Tech (21-10, 8-6 ACC), which has now won five of its last six ACC road games. Combining Marciano’s numbers with Manning’s, the Hokies’ pitching tandem registered 12 strikeouts, issued two walks, allowed one run and stranded nine runners on base.
Virginia Tech backed Marciano with three runs during the top of the third inning, all charged to right-hand starter DJ Helwig.
Squaring to bunt, Jared Davis was hit on the hands by Helwig’s 1-0 pitch, soon going from first to third base on Ben Watson’s single through the right side. With runners on the corners, Sam Tackett dropped a textbook sacrifice bunt up the third base line, bringing home Davis to put the Hokies on top, 1-0.
After Jackson Cherry had drawn the seven-pitch walk that ended Helwig’s start, Hudson Lutterman stepped in with a chance to continue Virginia Tech's two-out rally. Turning on a 1-1 pitch by reliever Sammy Cooper, Lutterman bounced his seventh double of the season down the left field line, scoring both Watson and Cherry to stretch the Hokies' lead to 3-0.
Notre Dame (15-13, 3-11 ACC) finally broke through against Marciano during the bottom of the fifth inning, taking advantage of a rare infield error by second baseman Ethan Gibson. With Nick DeMarco aboard at first base following his one-out single, Gibson let Jayce Lee’s ground ball dart through his legs, allowing DeMarco to head to third base and set up the best scoring chance of the day for the Irish.
Cashing in, leadoff center fielder Jared Zimbardo proceeded to bat DeMarco in with his RBI infield single that was stopped by shortstop Clay Grady, whose throw to second base arrived too late for an out to be made. Zimbardo led all players with three hits, accounting for the majority of Notre Dame's seven hits during the ballgame.
Virginia Tech held onto its two-run lead into the ninth inning, where the Hokies received a blast of insurance by graduate outfielder Jackson Cherry. For the second consecutive game, Cherry delivered a key home run – this time powering the two-out, three-run homer to right field that provided Manning with a five-run cushion, enough to close out the Irish.