Set up for a rubber match
Notre Dame is set up for a rubber match against the Louisville Cardinals on Sunday after a 10-4 victory Saturday afternoon.
From the ND press release:
Irish Even Series With Commanding Win Over No. 17 Cardinals
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Notre Dame baseball team outscored No. 17 Louisville 7-1 on Friday night and captured a decisive 10-4 victory over the Cardinals to draw even in the ACC series between the squads, setting up the rubber match on Saturday.
The Cardinals struck first with a solo home run in the top of the first, but the Irish responded right back with a run in the bottom half of the inning. Carson Tinney singled up the middle and moved to second on a wild pitch. Bino Watters flew out to center field as Tinney tagged up on the play, and a wild pitch on strike three allowed Tinney to come in and score.
Notre Dame took the lead in the bottom of the second inning. Estevan Moreno led off with a double and moved to third on a ground out. Nick DeMarco then put down a perfectly executed squeeze bunt, and Moreno slid in ahead of the tag for the 2-1 lead.
Louisville knotted the game up at 2-2 in the third, but that momentum was short-lived. Carson Tinney led off the bottom of the third with a solo home run to center field to regain the lead for the Irish. Bino Watters then hit a single, and Parker Brzustewicz added a single. A ground out advanced the pair, and Estevan Moreno drove in Watters with a sacrifice fly.
Rory Fox retired the side in order in the fourth, and the offense added to the lead in the bottom half of the inning. Davis Johnson laced a two-out single through the left side of the infield before moving to second on a passed ball. Carson Tinney then drove in Johnson with a single to make it a 5-2 game.
DM Jefferson had a perfectly-placed double down the right field line to drive in Moreno in the fifth as the Irish continued to build more and more momentum. Fox, meanwhile, closed out his quality start by stranding a runner in the sixth and retiring the side in order in the seventh.
Louisville plated a run in the top of the eighth, but the Irish continued to have the answer as Notre Dame plated four in the bottom of the inning to all but put the game away. Brady Gumpf doubled, Davis Johnson walked, and Carson Tinney drilled a double down the left field line to score Gumpf. A failed pick-off attempt allowed Davis Johnson to score, and Bino Watters hit a no-doubt home run to center field for the 10-3 lead.
Tobey McDonough made quick work of the Cardinals in the top of the ninth with a strikeout, a fly out, and another strikeout to preserve the six-run win.
Rory Fox went 7.0 and struck out three while scattering three hits and allowing a pair of runs in a winning effort on the mound. Tobey McDonough closed out the final 2.0 and struck out three with no earned runs.
Carson Tinney was 4-for-5 at the plate with a home run, a double, three RBI, and three runs scored. Bino Watters was 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI, and two runs scored. Estevan Moreno had a double, drew two walks, and scored twice. DM Jefferson and Brady Gumpf each hit a double as Jefferson drove in a run while Gumpf scored. Davis Johnson added a hit and two runs, and Parker Brzustewicz and Connor Hincks each collected a hit in the win.
The Irish (25-19, 11-15 ACC) look to take the series against Louisville in the rubber match on Saturday. The game begins at 2:00 p.m. Admission is free for all home regular season baseball games.