Virginia Tech Advances Behind 17-Run Outburst Against Notre Dame

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – No. 7-seeded Virginia Tech used four big innings to power past No. 10-seeded Notre Dame, 17-10, in the second round of the 2026 ACC Baseball Championship on Wednesday night at Truist Field in Charlotte, North Carolina.

 

Virginia Tech advances to face No. 2 seed North Carolina in the quarterfinals on Friday, May 22, at 3 p.m. ET on ACC Network.

 

The Hokies totaled 19 hits against 10 Notre Dame pitchers in the high-scoring victory. Ethan Bell led the offensive outburst, going 2-for-2 with two home runs, two walks, two hit-by-pitches, three RBIs and four runs scored. Hudson Lutterman finished 3-for-5 with a double, a walk, four RBIs and four runs scored.

 

Notre Dame had five players record multiple hits, led by Jayce Lee, who went 3-for-5 with a run scored. Shane Miranda finished 2-for-5 with a double and a team-high three RBIs.

 

Virginia Tech reliever Logan Eisenreich (2-2) earned the win after allowing one run on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts over 4.2 innings.

 

In a back-and-forth contest, Notre Dame struck first with four runs in the opening inning after the first five batters reached base. Bino Watters delivered an RBI double, Mark Quatrani added a two-run home run and Jamie Zee contributed a sacrifice fly while a Virginia Tech fielding error helped the Fighting Irish build an early 4-0 advantage.

 

After being retired in order in the first inning, Virginia Tech answered in the second. Bell launched a solo home run to center field before Owen Petrich added a two-run double to right-center field five batters later to cut the deficit to 4-3.

 

Notre Dame pushed its lead to 5-3 in the top of the third on a Mason Barth RBI single through the right side, but the Hokies responded again with three runs in the bottom half. Bell connected on his second home run of the night, a two-run shot, before Nick Locurto added an RBI double to give Virginia Tech its first lead at 6-5.

 

Virginia Tech extended the advantage in the fifth inning, capitalizing on two walks and a wild pitch before Lutterman delivered an RBI single and Sam Gates added a sacrifice bunt to make it 8-5.

 

Zee opened the sixth inning with a solo home run off the picnic area roof beyond the left-field wall, trimming the deficit to 8-6. The Hokies answered immediately with four runs in the bottom half of the inning, highlighted by RBI singles from Lutterman and Gates, to stretch the lead to 12-6.

 

Notre Dame mounted another rally in the seventh, scoring four runs to pull within 12-10. Miranda delivered the key hit with a bases-clearing, three-run double to left field.

 

Virginia Tech responded once again, scoring on an Ethan Gibson RBI single in the seventh before adding four insurance runs in the eighth inning to seal the 17-10 victory.