This past weekend, the Hokies traveled to South Bend, Indiana to take on the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. Despite dropping the Friday game, the Hokies were able to find a way to claw their way to a series win on the back of its two freshman weekend starters.
Game 1: Notre Dame 7, Virginia Tech 2
The Hokies dropped what was a weird first game.
Brett Renfrow got the ball on the mound, but only went three innings in what was an oddly short outing for the Hokies’ ace. Jacob Exum came in after Renfrow to pitch an inning, but after that, no Hokies pitcher recorded more than two outs and none of them faced more than five batters.
Offensively, the Hokies had a lot of trouble getting things going against Notre Dame’s Jack Radel. In this game, the Hokies were able to put together just four hits and four walks. Jared Davis had a multi-hit game in the lead-off spot, but was not able to come around to score. Jackson Cherry did hit a home run in the second inning to give the Hokies a 1-0 lead that they would ultimately be unable to hang on to. The Hokies four walks on the game came from just two batters, as Sam Tackett and Clay Grady had two a piece.
On the mound for the Fighting Irish was Jack Radel, who previously in starts, found himself getting into a lot of trouble (10.19 ACC ERA entering the weekend). He was able to find some success against the Hokies, though, as he pitched seven innings and gave up just three hits and two earned runs. He was followed up by Toby McDonough, who pitched the last two innings scoreless.
For the Irish, they were led by the meat of their lineup, as the 2-3-4 hitters combined to go 6-13. That part of their lineup recorded six of their nine hits on the game and was responsible for a total of five runs. Parker Brzustewicz played a big role for the Fighting Irish, going 3-5 with an RBI in the two hole. In the clean-up spot, shortstop Estevan Moreno was able to find some success as well, going 2-4 with an RBI and two doubles.
My takeaways from this game are slim, as it was an atypical pitching performance from Renfrow but appears to be an outlier game. Offensively, the team looked flat and struggled to string together quality at-bats. Outside of Cherry’s solo shot, there weren’t many threatening moments, and the inability to capitalize on the few baserunners they had continues to be a red flag.
Game 2: Virginia Tech 6, Notre Dame 1
In the series’ second game, the Hokies had their backs against the wall, but they answered the call.
Jake Marciano got the start on the mound and did not disappoint. The freshman southpaw was coming off of two difficult ACC starts, but found a way to turn it around with an absolutely electric start where he threw 6.2 innings and allowed no earned runs while striking out a career high nine batters. He was relieved by Grant Manning, who pitched 2.1 scoreless innings three on his way to a seven-out save, his second save in the last two weeks.
Offensively for the Hokies, things were dormant outside of two three-run innings. The first of those came in the third inning and was fueled by a Hudson Lutterman two-RBI double. The other inning where the Hokies scratched runs across was the ninth, which was fueled by a Jackson Cherry three-run homer, his second home run in as many days for the Hokies’ offense.
Ben Watson and Jackson Cherry both had multi-hit days, as they combined to go 4-8 with three RBIs and 3 walks. Jared Davis was also able to find a way on base three times and in three different ways. He was hit by a pitch, walked, and doubled in the ninth inning.
Starting on the bump for Notre Dame was DJ Helwig, who did not find the same success as Jack Radel. Helwig, coming off of a tough start against Florida State, only pitched into the third inning, but gave up three runs prior to being taken out of the ball game. He was then replaced by Sammy Cooper, who only got one out before being pulled in favor of Dylan Heine. Heine pitched 2.2 scoreless innings for Notre Dame, keeping them competitive.
Oisen Lee was the last Notre Dame pitcher to throw. He started his outing with three scoreless innings, but eventually gave up a three-run home run to Jackson Cherry that broke the game open for the Hokies. He was able to bounce back and record the final out of the top of the ninth to end his outing.
Offensively, the Irish had similar troubles that the Hokies did Friday. They were only able to put up one unearned run in the fifth inning. Jared Zimbardo was the only Notre Dame batter who had a multi-game, going 3-5 with the Irish’s sole RBI. The Hokies also did a good job at limiting the Irish’s walks, walking just two batters all game long.
This was a gutsy bounce-back win for Virginia Tech, and one that showcased both toughness and timely execution. Jake Marciano’s performance was exactly what the Hokies needed—he was composed, confident, and in control for the first time in a few weeks. The bullpen followed suit, with Grant Manning slamming the door in a high-leverage spot.
While the offense wasn’t firing on all cylinders, the lineup capitalized when it mattered most, especially in the third and ninth innings. Cherry’s continued power surge is a promising sign, and contributions from Davis, Watson, and Lutterman helped round out a solid team win. Limiting walks on the pitching side and making the most of limited offensive chances was the difference, and this kind of all-around effort is what the Hokies will need to lean on moving forward in ACC play.
Game 3: Virginia Tech 11, Notre Dame 5
In the game three rubber match, the Hokies gave the ball to true freshman Logan Eisenreich. Eiesenreich has spent the last month recovering from an injury, throwing less than 35 pitches in each of his last three starts. He was finally able to get stretched out, throwing 70 pitches over 4.1 innings where he gave up just one run and struck out seven batters.
Cameron LeJeune was the first Hokie pitcher out of the bullpen. He went three innings while giving up three runs. Luke Craytor was the next Hokies pitcher out of the pen, and his season-long struggles continued, as he failed to get an out after facing two batters. Matheiu Curtis was the next pitcher for Virginia Tech, and he continued his ACC success, pitching 1.1 scoreless innings. Josh Berzonski was then called upon to get the final out and did so successfully.
Offensively for Virginia Tech, they found the most success that they were able to weekend long, scoring 11 runs on the back of Jared Davis and Ben Watson, who combined to go 5-11 with three doubles, eight RBIs, and a walk.
True freshman Anderson French also had a great game, going 2-3 with a home run and two walks. Starting catcher Henry Cooke also shined in his Sunday appearance, going 2-3 with a double and two walks for the Hokies.
Now to look at the mound for Notre Dame.
The Irish gave the rubber match start to Rory Fox, who had a ton of trouble with the Hokies offense, giving up five runs in just 3.1 innings of work before the Irish were forced to look to the bullpen. Chase Van Ameyde was the first out of the pen, and he faced three batters, giving up a hit and walking two before being pulled in favor of Brady Koester, who was able to get out of the inning. Jackson Dennies was then called upon, and he threw 1.2 innings where he gave up three runs before the Irish were forced to make yet another call to their already depleted bullpen.
The next arms up were Justin Mayes, Xavier Hirsch, and Keenan Mork. They combined to pitch the last 3.1 innings scoreless, doing their best to keep the Fighting Irish competitive in this one.
At the plate, the Irish had just one multi hit performance from catcher Carson Tinney, who went 3-5 with an RBI. DH Davis Johnson also went 1-2 with two walks. The Notre Dame RBI leader in this one was Nick DeMarco, who hit a two-run home run over the left field wall in the fifth inning.
This was the most complete performance of the weekend for the Hokies, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Logan Eisenreich showed real promise in his return to a full workload, giving Virginia Tech quality innings early and setting the tone. While the bullpen was a bit shaky in the middle innings, Curtis and Berzonski closed it down effectively to preserve the lead.
Offensively, this was a breakout showing for this series, as Jared Davis and Ben Watson were unstoppable at the plate, combining for eight RBIs and consistently coming through in big spots. The freshman Anderson French also stepped up in a big way, delivering the clutch home run that helped keep the pressure on Notre Dame. After two inconsistent games to start the series, the Hokies looked sharp in every phase and walked away with a statement win to take the series.
Virginia Tech’s series win over Notre Dame was a defining moment in their season and a clear sign of growth for a team that continues to evolve in ACC play. While Game 1 was a forgettable outing, that all changed in Games 2 and 3. The series turned thanks to two huge performances from freshman arms, as Jake Marciano delivered a lights-out outing on Saturday to even the series, and Logan Eisenreich gave the Hokies exactly what they needed in the rubber match with a steady, composed start in his first extended action back from injury.
On the offensive side, veterans like Jared Davis, Ben Watson, and Jackson Cherry continued to set the tone, but perhaps most encouraging for the Hokies was the continued emergence of their young talent. Anderson French and Hudson Lutterman stepped up once againin big spots, showing that the lineup has real depth and potential beyond its core hitters. The bullpen had some bumps but managed to hold strong when it mattered most, especially with Grant Manning and Matheiu Curtis taking care of business in key moments.
Overall, this series showcased Virginia Tech’s resilience, versatility, and upside, qualities that helped propel them into the Top 25 and could keep them there if they continue building on this momentum.
This week, the Hokies take on the ninth ranked Florida State Seminoles in a huge ACC series in Blacksburg, but need to be sure not to look past the 20th ranked Troy Trojans, who will face off against the Hokies on Wednesday. Freshman Chase Swift is expected to get the start, with Tech looking for another strong start from a talented freshman arm.
