Hokie ClubCHARLOTTE, N.C. – Racking up season highs in hits (19), runs (17) and RBIs (16) on Wednesday night, the seventh-seeded Virginia Tech baseball team packaged five crooked numbers together to knock out 10th-seeded Notre Dame, 17-10, during the second round of the 2026 ACC Baseball Championship at Truist Field.
Two days after being named to the 2026 ACC All-Freshman Team, rookie second baseman Ethan Ball homered during his first two career postseason at-bats, reaching base six times – twice via walks (once intentionally) and twice as a hit batsman. Ball’s three RBIs were the undercard to the four earned by Hudson Lutterman, who went 3-for-5 with a double, two runs scored and a walk.
Firing on all cylinders, Virginia Tech (30-23) reveled in its best offensive performance of the 2026 season, advancing to the quarterfinal round for the first time since the tournament debuted a single-elimination format in 2025. Among the Hokies’ nine starting position players, all nine recorded at least one hit (eight multi-hit performances), eight scored at least one run (six multiple times) and eight tallied at least one RBI (five multi-RBI games).
Remarkably, Virginia Tech’s 17-run outpouring correlated with its largest come-from-behind victory spanning tournament history as Notre Dame (31-24) broke out to the 4-0 lead after the first inning. Freshman right-hander Ethan Grim started for the Hokies, though was unable to record an out through five batters faced, allowing an RBI double to Bino Watters, a two-run homer to Mark Quatrani and two more singles before being lifted for right-hander Logan Eisenreich.
After Virginia Tech’s three-up, three-down first inning, Ball kickstarted the Hokies’ all-around night at the plate during the second inning, greeting starter Ty Uber with a first-pitch, solo homer to center field (estimated at 409 feet). Three batters later, Nick Locurto doubled himself and Lutterman into scoring position, from where they both came home on Owen Petrich’s two-RBI double to right center field.
Notre Dame pulled ahead, 5-3, during the top of the third inning, connecting on three straight hits against Eisenreich. With Jayce Lee aboard following his one-out single, Dylan Passo doubled Lee to left center field while Mason Barth proceeded to bring him home, cracking an RBI single through the right side.
Eisenreich closed the top of the third inning with back-to-back strikeouts of Jamie Zee and Shane Miranda prior to Virginia Tech’s offense coming alive during the bottom of the inning.
In the wake of Ethan Gibson’s leadoff single, Ball crushed the game-tying, two-run homer to center field (estimated at 416 feet) – his second in as many at-bats – evening the score at 5-5 with more firepower due up behind him. Ensuing doubles by Lutterman and Locurto ultimately plated the Hokies’ go-ahead run, despite Locurto running into the inning’s final out, 9-4-5, while trying to leg out a triple.
Virginia Tech’s 6-5 lead held into the fifth inning where walks issued to Henry Cooke and Ball turned into a pair of runs. After the Irish had swapped left-hander Caden Crowell for right-hander Radek Birkholz, Lutterman stroked an RBI single into right center while Sam Gates dropped a tailor-made sacrifice that scored Ball, strengthening the Hokies’ grip on the game at 8-5.
Despite Zee’s leadoff homer during the top of the sixth inning bringing Notre Dame within 8-6, Virginia Tech piled on four runs in response, all started by Pete Daniel’s swim slide across the plate on a brilliant sacrifice bunt by Gibson. From there, the Hokies tacked on three two-out runs – two on Lutterman’s bases-loaded single into center field and another on an RBI single by Gates.
Taking the 12-6 lead into the seventh inning, Virginia Tech let the Irish back into the contest, stemming from their two-out rally that resulted in four runs. Three base runners, each walked by Preston Crowl, came around to score between Barth’s RBI single and a bases-clearing, three-RBI double by Miranda, shaving the Hokies’ advantage down to 12-10.
On cue, Virginia Tech answered during the seventh inning with a run from four straight leadoff hits, receiving an RBI single by Gibson. Unable to cash in from their bases-loaded rally, the Hokies ran away during the bottom of the eighth inning, bringing nine batters to the plate while tacking on four insurance runs, featuring run-scoring singles by Petrich, Sam Grube and Cooke.
Eisenreich scored Wednesday’s winning decision, registering six strikeouts through four and two-thirds innings pitched. Luke Craytor and Madden Clement tossed the final two and one-third scoreless innings for the Hokies, uniting for the final three of the staff’s 13 strikeouts.
Notre Dame combined to throw 10 arms during Wednesday’s ballgame that lasted four hours and eight minutes in duration. Eight starters recorded hits for the Irish – another eight scoring runs – who matched Virginia Tech in doubles (four) and home runs (two).
UP NEXT
Virginia Tech is off until Friday, May 22, when it will contest its quarterfinal game at the 2026 ACC Baseball Championship against second-seeded (No. 2) North Carolina. First pitch between the Hokies and the Tar Heels is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET.