Irish Halt Hokies in Series Opener

Box Score (PDF)

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Jack Radel went a career-high 7.0 innings and struck out five while the Notre Dame batters put up five unanswered runs down the stretch in a 7-2 Irish win over Virginia Tech on Friday night at Frank Eck Stadium.

The Hokies led the game off with a double and added a one-out walk, but Radel quickly locked down on Virginia Tech by inducing a fly out before striking out a batter to shut the door in the first inning. The visiting side plated a run in the top of the second, but the Irish countered with a run of their own in the bottom half of the frame. Estevan Moreno laced a double to right-center field, and Carson Tinney drew a walk. Connor Hincks used a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners before a passed ball moved both up 90 feet. A passed ball then allowed Moreno to score to tie the game at 1-1.

Virginia Tech led off the third inning with a double, and Radel had the answer yet again as the sophomore chalked up another strikeout before getting back-to-back outs to end the inning. Notre Dame, meanwhile, took their first lead of the game in the bottom half of the third. Jared Zimbardo drew a one-out walk before Parker Brzustewicz punched a single up the middle. Bino Watters drew a walk to load the bases, and a fielder’s choice by Estevan Moreno drove in Zimbardo.

Radel retired the side in order in the top of the fourth with a pair of strikeouts and a ground out. The Hokies used a sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth to knot the game at 2-2, but the Irish had the answer once again. Brzustewicz continued to have a hot bat in the game with another single, and Bino Watters added an infield single to put a pair on base. An attempt at a double play led to an errant throw by the Hokies’ second baseman, which allowed Brzustewicz to score from second for a 3-2 Notre Dame lead.

Radel, meanwhile, had a pair of three-up, three-down efforts in both the sixth and the seventh innings on the mound. The offense gave the sophomore right-hander more than enough support over those two innings of action with a pair of runs in the bottom half of both stanzas. The sixth inning saw Brady Gumpf lead off with a ten-pitch walk before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by Nick DeMarco. Jayce Lee then went the other way with an RBI single to drive in Gumpf. Two batters later, Lee stole second and moved to third on a throwing error before Parker Brzustewicz tallied his third hit of the game, driving in Lee. In the seventh, Moreno led off the inning with his second double of the game, and Carson Tinney hammered a two-run home run over the left field wall for the 7-2 Irish lead.

Tobey McDonough came on in relief in the eighth and got out of a bases-loaded jam by inducing a double play to shut down the scoring chance for Virginia Tech. McDonough then made quick work of the Hokies in the top of the ninth by retiring the side in order to close out the 7-2 Notre Dame win.

Jack Radel went a career-high 7.0 innings on the mound and earned the win while striking out five. Tobey McDonough went 2.0 and did not allow a run while needing just 31 pitches to record six outs.

Parker Brzustewicz went 3-for-5 at the plate with an RBI and a run. Estevan Moreno was 2-for-4 with two doubles, two runs, and an RBI. Carson Tinney was 1-for-3 with a two-run home run, and Jayce Lee added a 1-for-3 effort with an RBI and a run. Connor Hincks and Bino Watters each collected a hit while Jared Zimbardo and Brady Gumpf each scored once.

The Irish (15-12, 3-10 ACC) are back at Frank Eck Stadium on Saturday to host the Hokies for a 2:00 p.m. contest. The Irish will be celebrating their Somos ND game. Admission for all home regular season baseball games is free.