BLACKSBURG – Hammering four home runs on Sunday (including two hit by senior outfielder Eddie Micheletti Jr.), the Virginia Tech baseball team polished off its three-game sweep of Notre Dame, collecting the 11-8 victory at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park.
Micheletti crossed the plate during each of his four times on base, pocketing three RBIs from his fourth and fifth home run swings of the season in addition to walking twice. The 6-foot-1 transfer from George Washington ended the day tied for the Tech lead in round-trippers with Carson DeMartini, who rode the gusting winds to center field during the first inning on his two-run blast that accounted for the game's opening runs.
Virginia Tech (11-3, 3-0 ACC) slugged eight extra-base knocks inside its nine-hit afternoon while achieving the program's first three-game, conference-opening sweep of an ACC opponent to date. Christian Martin chipped in a solo home run to the Hokies' count while Gehrig Ebel, Ben Watson and Clay Grady each tripled (Ebel and Grady both bagging RBIs).
Sophomore right-hander Griffin Stieg worked comfortably through Notre Dame (9-5, 0-3 ACC), departing during the sixth inning with Tech leading, 5-1. Stieg was ultimately charged for two Irish runs while scattering four hits through five-plus innings pitched, walking none and striking out three.
Virginia Tech pushed four runs across against Notre Dame right-hand starter Matt Bedford, who was pulled amidst the Hokies' two-run third inning. After Micheletti had turned the 1-2 count he faced into a leadoff walk, Ebel tripled him in off the wall in center field, soon scoring on Watson's RBI groundout to the right side.
Simon Baumgardt singled in a run for the Irish off Stieg during the top of the fourth inning, breaking Stieg's streak of 14 and one-third scoreless innings that included his previous two starts. Regardless, Micheletti reinstated the four-run lead for Stieg during the bottom of the fifth inning, shuttling Bennett Flynn's 1-0 delivery out of the yard to put the Hokies on top, 5-1.
Notre Dame clawed back during the top of the sixth inning, rallying for two runs behind shortstop Jack Penney's leadoff single. David Glancy greeted reliever Grant Manning by doubling to right center field, advancing on the ensuing RBI single by first baseman Connor Hincks and scoring on the next RBI groundout by right fielder Tito Flores.
However, the Hammerin' Hokies responded in iconic fashion during the bottom of the sixth inning, shooting out to the 8-3 lead courtesy of two-out homers by Martin and Micheletti. Tech added two more runs during the bottom of the seventh inning in the wake of rookie David McCann's ground-rule double that was accented by Chris Cannizzaro's RBI squeeze bunt and Grady's RBI triple to right center field.
David Glancy's leadoff home run during the top of the eighth inning brought Notre Dame within 10-4 and teased a comeback by the Irish as the Hokies' bullpen struggled to pick up the game's final outs. Notre Dame countered Watson's RBI single during the eighth inning by rallying for four runs during the ninth inning, forcing Tech to bring in three arms to wrap up the contest.
Joey Spence sparked the ninth inning rally with his leadoff home run against Carson Ohl, prompting the Irish to put each of their next five batters on base before an out had been recorded. Hincks singled in the run off Jacob Stretch that trimmed the score to 11-7 while Flores hit an RBI double off Jordan Little, introducing the potential game-tying run at the plate.
However, Little recovered to put an end to the theatrics and earn his first save of the season, striking out both Baumgardt and Josh Hahn before inducing the game-ending groundout, as fielded by Grady.
UP NEXT
Virginia Tech will host Marist on Tuesday, March 12, at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park. First pitch between the Hokies and the Red Foxes is scheduled for 4 p.m.
Gallery: (3-10-2024) BSB: Notre Dame Game 3