The one glaring red light intermittently flashing during Notre Dame’s 9-2 run through its pre-conference schedule was inconsistent starting pitching.
Something that the Irish were able to largely camouflage with impressive power at the plate and defensive prowess in the field, ranking second nationally in home runs per game and sixth in fielding percentage coming into its ACC-opening series at Virginia Tech this weekend.
With an 11-3 romp past the Irish on Friday followed by a 10-5 victory on Saturday, the Hokies (10-3, 2-0 ACC) have exploited ND’s slow start on the mound in the first two games of conference play.
Game 3 is set for Sunday at 2 p.m.
On Saturday the Irish pitching staff surrendered four home runs, three wild pitches and two hit batsmen along with 11 hits. Virginia Tech chased ND starter Toby McDonough after 2 ⅔ innings, after he gave up five runs (four earned) on four hits and a walk with two strikeouts.
Notre Dame (9-4, 0-2) rallied after trailing 6-0 after five innings, plating two runs in the sixth, two more in the seventh and one in the top of the eighth to cut the deficit to one run before the Hokies finally answered with four runs in the bottom of the frame.
Left fielder David Glancy hit his fifth home run of the year and drove in two, and third baseman Simon Baumgradt hit his fourth, a solo shot, to lead the Irish offense. DH Brady Gumpf doubled in two at-bats, giving him a team-leading five on the season. He drove in two runs as well.
Shortstop Jack Penney and first baseman Connor Hincks each went 2-for-5 with a run scored.
The ACC flexed its strength heading into conference-opening weekend with all 14 teams sporting winning records and the league going a collective 127-31 (.804).
After the Irish finish the series with Virginia Tech, they’ll play a two-game midweek non-conference series with Radford, then face former Notre Dame coach Link Jarrett and his 12-0 Florida State Seminoles in a three-game weekend series in Tallahassee.
VIRGINIA TECH 10, NOTRE DAME 5: Box Score
Something that the Irish were able to largely camouflage with impressive power at the plate and defensive prowess in the field, ranking second nationally in home runs per game and sixth in fielding percentage coming into its ACC-opening series at Virginia Tech this weekend.
With an 11-3 romp past the Irish on Friday followed by a 10-5 victory on Saturday, the Hokies (10-3, 2-0 ACC) have exploited ND’s slow start on the mound in the first two games of conference play.
Game 3 is set for Sunday at 2 p.m.
On Saturday the Irish pitching staff surrendered four home runs, three wild pitches and two hit batsmen along with 11 hits. Virginia Tech chased ND starter Toby McDonough after 2 ⅔ innings, after he gave up five runs (four earned) on four hits and a walk with two strikeouts.
Notre Dame (9-4, 0-2) rallied after trailing 6-0 after five innings, plating two runs in the sixth, two more in the seventh and one in the top of the eighth to cut the deficit to one run before the Hokies finally answered with four runs in the bottom of the frame.
Left fielder David Glancy hit his fifth home run of the year and drove in two, and third baseman Simon Baumgradt hit his fourth, a solo shot, to lead the Irish offense. DH Brady Gumpf doubled in two at-bats, giving him a team-leading five on the season. He drove in two runs as well.
Shortstop Jack Penney and first baseman Connor Hincks each went 2-for-5 with a run scored.
The ACC flexed its strength heading into conference-opening weekend with all 14 teams sporting winning records and the league going a collective 127-31 (.804).
After the Irish finish the series with Virginia Tech, they’ll play a two-game midweek non-conference series with Radford, then face former Notre Dame coach Link Jarrett and his 12-0 Florida State Seminoles in a three-game weekend series in Tallahassee.
VIRGINIA TECH 10, NOTRE DAME 5: Box Score
