BLACKSBURG, Va. – A ninth-inning rally fell short for Notre Dame as the Irish (9-5) took an 11-8 loss to Virginia Tech (11-3) in the series finale Sunday. The Irish scored four runs in the ninth inning, but were unable to push for the lead before the game ended.
RHP Matt Bedford (1-2) noted the loss, as RHP Bennett Flynn pitched 3.1 innings with five strikeouts in an attempt to keep the Irish in the game.
INF Connor Hincks had a standout weekend for Notre Dame, posting a .417 batting average with five hits, two doubles, two runs scored and three RBI. Three of his hits, two RBI and one run came in Sunday’s game. He started all three games at first base for Notre Dame and played a role in two double plays, including an unassisted double play Saturday. In total, Hincks noted 22 putouts, two assists and zero errors on the weekend.
INF Jack Penney and OF David Glancy also made impacts at the plate over the series, with Penney going 3-for-5 on Sunday with two runs scored, and Glancy posting two hits, including a homer, and three runs scored.
C Joey Spence hit his first home run of the season to lead off the ninth-inning comeback attempt. It was the second homer of his career.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Penney led off the game with a single, but three quick outs sent the Hokies up to bat. Virginia Tech drew a HBP to lead off, and a failed pickoff attempt allowed the runner to take second. A subsequent home run scored two for the Hokies, and Bedford and the Irish allowed another hit before closing the inning and stranding the runner at third.
Both teams went scoreless in the second inning. Notre Dame went three up, three down in the third, and after a Virginia Tech walk, the Hokies sent a triple and a groundout to score two more runs. Flynn entered to pitch with one out, and struck out the next two batters to end the inning down four runs.
In the top of the fourth, Hincks sent a one-out double to the outfield, and after another out, INF Simon Baumgardt singled to bring Hincks home, giving the Irish their first run of the game. Flynn and the Irish defense sat the Hokies down in order in the fourth, as Flynn added two strikeouts.
Notre Dame sat down in order in the fifth, and Virginia Tech led off the bottom of the inning with a solo homer to extend the lead to 5-1. With a walk and HBP placing two runners on base, Flynn struck out the next batter. Hincks then took a ground ball near first, turned to Penney at second and received it back at first for the double play to end the inning.
Penney led off the sixth with another single, and Glancy followed with a double. Hincks sent a single to left field, scoring Penney. OF Tito Flores then sent a grounder to shortstop, forcing a fielder’s choice and scoring Glancy, as Hincks was tagged out on the play. Notre Dame added a walk, but another fielder’s choice ball and groundout produced the last two outs, stranding two on base for Notre Dame.
Virginia Tech responded in the bottom of the inning, delivering a two-out solo homer to add to the lead. After a walk, RHP Nate Hardman entered to pitch. Virginia Tech sent a two-run homer to extend the lead to 8-3.
C Carson Tinney entered as a pinch hitter to lead off the seventh inning, and the Irish went down in order. Spence entered to catch the seventh, and after an out and a walk, Virginia Tech hit a ground-rule double to place two runners in scoring position. RHP Radek Birkholz entered to pitch, as a sac bunt scored one for the Hokies, and a subsequent triple brought in another run before the inning ended on an impressive outfield snag at the wall from OF Brady Gumpf.
Glancy led off the eighth with a solo homer, Notre Dame’s fourth run. After two outs, Baumgardt singled and pinch hitter INF Casey Kmet walked, but a fly ball ended the inning, stranding the two on base. Birkholz struck out the leadoff hitter in the eighth, but after two walks, a single scored a run for the Hokies, sending the game to the ninth with an 11-4 lead for Virginia Tech.
Spence led off the ninth inning with a solo homer, his first home run of the season and second of his career. After two singles, Glancy forced an error to score INF Estevan Moreno, and Hincks singled, his third hit and second RBI of the day, to score Penney. Flores followed with an RBI double, scoring Glancy and putting the Irish within three. The Irish would be halted, however, as two strikeouts and a groundout gave Virginia Tech the series sweep.
UP NEXT
The Irish stay out east and will travel to Radford for a two-game midweek stint March 12-13 before heading to Tallahassee for a three-game series at Florida State March 15-17. The games at Radford will be broadcast on ESPN+, while the games at Florida State will be aired on ACCNX.