Another unflattering game for the Virginia Tech offense through eight innings on Saturday could’ve very well ended in its third straight loss. However, a career day from true freshman pitcher Jake Marciano ensured that would be far from the case.
The Bayville, N.J., native’s nine-strikeout start with no earned runs over 6 ⅔ innings kept Notre Dame away en route to a 6-1 Hokies win in Indiana. The Fighting Irish (15-13, 3-11) notched just six hits, a walk and an unearned run across 116 pitches by the freshman. Meanwhile, reliever Grant Manning closed the final 2 ⅓ innings for the Hokies (21-10, 8-6 ACC) with little pushback.
Stellar pitching meant that a three-run third inning for Tech was more than enough to seal the victory, but a three-RBI blast by Jackson Cherry — his second homer in as many days — ensured the lead in the ninth.
The Hokies have won seven of their last nine conference games and have a chance at their third straight ACC series win on Sunday. With a low-RPI loss to Radford on Tuesday, their fifth rubber match of the season is perhaps the most imperative yet. But thanks to Marciano, they’ll head in with momentum on their side.
The lefty retired Notre Dame’s first five batters before Connor Hincks broke the streak with a two-out single in the second inning. Marciano’s subsequent strikeout stranded Hincks at first. Then, after two outs to start the third, the freshman had put away eight of Notre Dame’s first nine batters.
Two more of his innings were hitless, including a three up, three down fourth. The sixth inning saw his only walk — to Estevan Moreno — which was just the second instance of Marciano finishing an at-bat down in the count. Manning (three Ks, one hit and a walk) had just three such occurrences after taking over for Marciano with two outs in the seventh, and just one of those ended in a walk.
Tech’s two-man pitching staff combined to surrender just two free bases and no earned runs while striking out 12. Only two Notre Dame baserunners even graced third base.
It was a day at the mound sure to appease any head coach, including Tech’s John Szefc, who — courtesy of Marciano and Manning’s efforts — will have the vast majority of his bullpen available for Game 3.
Sam Tackett (1-for-3, walk) had the Hokies’ lone hit until the third inning, when Jared Davis (1-for-3, two runs) was hit by a pitch to trigger a series of small-ball at-bats to bring him around. Ben Watson (2-for-5) singled to put himself and Davis on the corners, and Cherry (2-for-3, three RBI) walked thereafter. Hudson Lutterman pulled a double down the left-field line to empty the bases — his 12th and 13th RBI in just 11 starts, with 15 total this season — to make it 3-0.
In the subsequent inning, Watson and Davis again combined to put runners on first and third, but Watson was caught on a delayed double steal before Davis could reach home. It stood after a challenge by Szefc.
Another Tech runner, Cherry, made it to third in the fifth, but Anderson French struck out to strand him, as well as Lutterman at first. The Hokies had just one more hit until Davis doubled in the ninth, and was eventually brought around — along with Tackett, who walked — by Cherry’s slam to right field.
On the other side, French, a natural catcher, played first base in all nine innings on Saturday. It was the strangest of several defensive changes caused by injuries to first baseman Garrett Michel and his backup, Treyson Hughes, who is usually a center fielder.
David Lewis started at first in the last two games but committed an error in both, meaning French — who appeared there shortly on Friday and played the position secondarily in high school — was next up. The Lewisberry, Pa., native fared well, and extensions off the bag hardly looked difficult with his 6-foot-5 frame.
Ethan Gibson — the only Tech defender with an error on Saturday — got the start at second, while usual second baseman Davis took center field. Cherry, who has a team-high .507 on-base percentage, settled in at DH. Szefc, who almost always shifts his lineup around, didn’t make a single change all afternoon.
The Hokies’ look to start Sunday’s rubber match may be similar, especially as they face another righty starter. It’ll likely be Rory Fox (3.51 ERA) or Dylan Heine (7.66) across from Tech’s Logan Eisenreich (2.92). First pitch comes at 1 p.m. ET on ACC Network Extra.
Box Score: Virginia Tech 6, Notre Dame 1