Hokie ClubNOTRE DAME, Ind. – Despite taking the lead on Jackson Cherry’s solo home run during the second inning on Friday, the Virginia Tech baseball team was unable to match the multitude of scoring innings by Notre Dame as the Hokies lost the teams’ series opener, 7-2, at Frank Eck Baseball Stadium.
Batting seventh, Cherry worked a count full against right-hand starter Jack Radel before driving the next pitch of his at-bat into the left field tree line for the first run of the contest. Cherry’s power swing marked the graduate outfielder’s third of the 2025 season and his third against the ACC – his first since March 15 at NC State.
Sandwiching Cherry’s home run, Virginia Tech (20-10, 7-6 ACC) received leadoff doubles by Jared Davis and Ben Watson during the first and third innings, though was unable to chalk up runs behind their two-base hits. Davis was stranded at second base after the Hokies had produced a two-on, one-out situation while Watson used a groundout to advance as far as third base, despite progressing no further.
Virginia Tech had a way out of the bottom of the second inning until a pair of defensive miscues allowed Notre Dame (15-12, 3-10 ACC) to plate the game’s tying run. With runners on second and third base, David Lewis dropped the inning’s final out in foul territory, extending Carson Tinney’s at-bat with Brett Renfrow and inviting a passed ball that leveled the game at 1-1.
Two walks issued by Renfrow during the third inning helped the Irish load the bases, from which Estevan Moreno batted the infield ball that put the hosts up, 2-1. Hudson Lutterman needed time for Moreno’s high-arcing chopper to land at third base, resulting in a late-arriving throw at first base that would have taken the Hokies off the field.
Virginia Tech pulled even during the top of the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly by Watson as the Hokies were denied their fourth and final hit until the eighth inning. Notre Dame bounced back during the bottom of the inning with back-to-back leadoff singles by Parker Brzustewicz and Bino Watters, plating the go-ahead run when Davis errantly threw the final leg of a 5-4-3, inning-ending double play away from first base.
With eight relievers combining to throw the final six innings of Friday’s opener, Virginia Tech’s bullpen was given a routine test by Notre Dame. Jayce Lee and Brzustewicz provided RBI singles during the sixth inning that put the Irish ahead, 5-2, while Tinney’s two-run home run during the seventh inning all but sealed the result with two innings to spare.
Radel pitched seven innings for Notre Dame, allowing two runs on three hits, recording five strikeouts while issuing three walks.