SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Rallying from 5-3 down late in the eighth inning on Friday, the Virginia Tech baseball team caught magic in a bottle against No. 12 Notre Dame, using its six-run ninth inning to stun the Fighting Irish, 10-5, at Frank Eck Stadium.
With one out and the bases clear during the top of the eighth inning, Jack Hurley crushed his second home run of the game to right field, scooting Virginia Tech (14-6, 3-4 ACC) within a run of Notre Dame (12-5, 2-4 ACC). Hurley went 3-for-4 with three runs and three RBIs to lead the Hokies, departing the game with nine home runs, a 19-game hitting streak and the nation's best batting average (.494).
Despite Tech leaving the bases loaded during the eighth inning, Graham Firoved assured the Hokies no worse than a 5-4 deficit heading into the ninth inning. After an errant throw by Carson DeMartini had left the Irish with two runners in scoring position and no outs, Firoved induced a shallow fly ball before striking out Zack Prajzner and TJ Williams back-to-back to eliminate the threat.
Energized by Firoved shutting the door, Tech went to work during the ninth inning, receiving an early break when Aidan Tyrell's 1-1 pitch hit Nick Biddison on the back cleat. Two batters later, Tanner Schobel smacked a 3-2 pitch off Jack Brannigan into right field for the game-tying RBI double, rounding out his 3-for-5 day that also included a triple.
Notre Dame's intentional walk to Hurley backfired as Eduardo Malinowski earned a five-pitch walk behind him to load the bases. On the ensuing pitch from Brannigan, Cade Hunter lined the go-ahead single into center field, delivering the Hokies the 6-5 lead – their first since the fifth inning.
In a frightening scene, Sam Tackett was struck across the front of his helmet with a pitch from Matt Lazzaro, leaving the game after earning a courageous RBI. With three ducks still on the pond, the Hokies miraculously cleared the bases on Nick Holesa's sacrifice bunt that was errantly thrown up the right field line by Lazzaro.
Firoved went on to blank the Irish during the bottom of the ninth inning, leaving two runners aboard while securing his first win of the season.
Virginia Tech held leads of 2-0 and 3-2 early before the Irish figured out right-hander Griffin Green. Hurley homered during the second inning and grounded Schobel in during the fourth inning – two scoring plays that were undone by Brannigan's two-run homer during the bottom of the fourth inning.
After the Hokies had slid in front, 3-2, during the fifth inning courtesy of Biddion's sacrifice bunt, Notre Dame answered with a two-run home run by Brooks Coetzee that ended Green's day at four innings and change.
True freshman right-hander Drue Hackenberg made his first relief outing of the 2022 season, matching Green's four strikeouts while keeping the Irish to a run across three innings of work.
Notre Dame's John Michael Bertrand started and recorded six strikeouts across five and two-thirds innings, leaving with the Irish ahead, 4-3.
UP NEXT
Virginia Tech will resume its ACC series with No. 12 Notre Dame on Saturday, March 26. First pitch at Frank Eck Stadium is scheduled for 2 p.m.