While not completely, bunting in baseball has almost gone the way of the dinosaur. But in a game against Notre Dame on Friday, Virginia Tech showed that a bunt can still be effective — and then some.
The Hokies entered the top of the ninth inning down a run. They had already erased that deficit and taken a two-run lead when Nick Holesa came up. With the bases loaded and only one out, Holesa had a chance to blow the game open. He did just that. Only, it didn’t happen in a normal way.
Virginia Tech played small ball, putting all three runners in motion and having Holesa put down a bunt for a suicide squeeze attempt. Holesa got the bunt down well. The only option for Notre Dame pitcher Matt Lazzaro was to throw Holesa out at first. That’s exactly what did — or tried to do, anyway. It didn’t go well for Lazzaro or the Fighting Irish.
𝙄𝙏'𝙎 𝘼 𝘽𝘼𝙎𝙀𝙎-𝘾𝙇𝙀𝘼𝙍𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝘽𝙐𝙉𝙏 ‼️😆
≫ @NickHolesa puts Tech ahead, 10-5#Hokies 🦃⚾️ pic.twitter.com/9Uofu7rOkv
— Virginia Tech Baseball (@HokiesBaseball) March 25, 2022
The play drew a spirited response from college baseball fans.
YOU LOVE TO SEE IT https://t.co/nSEkns0nId
— Chris (@CassellCaptain) March 26, 2022
Lolol that’s awesome https://t.co/sOqvIE9Dz8
— Cam_Sauls🦃 (@SaulsberryHokie) March 26, 2022
Jon Lester out here pitching for ND https://t.co/2z5QVB45XX
— Sam Jessee (@SamOfSaturday) March 25, 2022
The play gave the Hokies a 10-5 lead. That stood as the final, as the unranked Hokies upset the No. 12 Notre Dame team.
And if nothing else, this play shows just how much can go right by simply getting the ball in play.
[Photo Credit: ACC Network]