LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The fourth-ranked Louisville Cardinals broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh with a three-run inning, then had to hold off a Virginia Tech Hokies rally before securing a 9-3 win in the third game of the ACC series at Jim Patterson Stadium Monday night, a game televised on ESPNU.

Trailing 4-1, the Hokies mounted a comeback in the eighth, with Sam Fragale and Ryan Tufts each knocking home one run, but Cardinal closer Zack Burdi – with the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position – was able to get a strikeout to end the threat. The Cardinals then scored five in the eighth to claim the victory.

Louisville’s Kyle Funkhouser picked up the win on the mound and is now 3-2 this season, while Burdi earned his third save of the year. Tech starter Packy Naughton fell to 2-4 with the loss, in a season-high innings pitched effort.

How the runs were scored

• Louisville (23-5, 9-3 ACC) opened the scoring in the fourth using back-to-back one-out singles by Devin Hairston and Blake Tiberi which set up a first and third situation. Will Smith followed with a sacrifice fly to center and the Cardinals led 1-0.
• Tech (10-19, 1-11 ACC) tied the game in the fifth all thanks to Joe Freiday, Jr. With two outs, he sliced a ball into right center for a double and moved to third on a fielding error by the centerfielder. He then crossed the plate on a wild pitch.
• The Cardinals broke the 1-1 tie in the seventh pushing three runs across the plate. Tiberi and Smith, who led off the frame with back-to-back singles, moved to second and third on a sacrifice bunt. Both scored, along with Ryan Summers, who was inserted as a pinch runner.
• The Hokies responded with two runs in the eighth with Fragale driving home Tom Stoffel with a double, and Tufts plating Nick Anderson with a sacrifice fly.
• Louisville padded its lead with five insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth to secure the victory.

Inside the Box

• Phil Sciretta: double, fifth of the season, seventh of his career; 2 hits, team-leading 13th multi-hit game of the season, 31st of his career
• Fragale: double, seventh of the season, ninth of his career; second on team in batting at .313 since ACC play began (last 15 games) and leads team with a .479 slugging percentage.
• Freiday, Jr.: double, third of the season, eighth of his career.
• Naughton: 7.2 innings, longest outing of the year; 6 strikeouts, fourth time this season he has struck out at least six.

Up next

Tech returns to Blacksburg and welcomes William & Mary to English Field at Union Park for a Tuesday game that starts at 5:30 p.m, which will also be Military Appreciation Night.

For updates on Virginia Tech baseball, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_Baseball