Notre Dame Baseball Wins Two of Four at Swig and Swine Classic

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish baseball team traveled to Charleston, SC over the weekend to take part in the Swig and Swine Classic. The Irish played four games in the tournament, two each against the Ball State Cardinals and the Charleston Southern Buccaneers.

The Irish managed to split the weekend, winning both games against Charleston Southern and losing both to Ball State. Notre Dame did, however, get a few very impressive pitching performances that they can build on moving forward.

Game 1: Notre Dame 7 (3-5) - Charleston Southern 4 (3-7)

Notre Dame opened the scoring in the first game in the bottom of the first. Ryan Cole led off the game with a single before stealing second and advancing to third on a single by Daniel Jung. Cole then stole home on a wild pitch for the 1-0 lead.

Charleston Southern responded immediately in the top of the second. They strung together a series of hits and scored four runs in the inning for a 4-1 lead.

In the bottom of the second, with first and third and one out, Jung beat out an infield single scoring Spencer Myers. Carter Putz was up next and he drove a base hit to the right centerfield wall to score two runs. In the third, the Irish added another run to take back the lead after Jack Alexander successfully executed a hit a run bringing Spencer Myers in to score.

Notre Dame added another two runs in the eighth inning to seal the win. Starting pitcher Tommy Sheehan pitched eight innings for the Irish to earn the win. At one point he retired 17 straight batters. Cole Kmet pitched the ninth inning to earn his first save of the season.

W: Tommy Sheehan, ND (2-1)

L: Tyler Weekley, CSU (0-2)

S: Cole Kmet, ND (1)

Game 2: Notre Dame 2 (3-6) - Ball State 6 (4-5)

The pitchers controlled the game early in this one, as both teams combined for just three hits through the first three innings. Notre Dame opened the scoring in the top of the fourth, when Eric Gilgenbach launched a two out home run over the left field fence.

Ball State then took control, stringing together a series of hits in each of the next two innings, and scoring four and two runs for a 6-1 lead after five innings.

Gilgenbach launched his second solo home run of the game in the eighth inning, but he provided all of the offense for the Irish in the game and it wasn’t enough.

W: Drey Jameson, BSU (1-1)

L: Cameron Brown, ND (0-1)

Game 3: Notre Dame 7 (4-6) - Charleston Southern 0 (3-9)

The second game against Charleston Southern was all Notre Dame from the beginning. The Irish jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Daniel Jung scored on a base hit by Carter Putz.

In the third inning, Notre Dame played small ball to manufacture a run when Spencer Myers doubled and scored on two sacrifices. Notre Dame carried that two run lead to the seventh inning.

Notre Dame added a run each in the seventh and eighth innings before striking for the three runs in the top of the ninth. Eric Gilgenbach drove in all three runs in the inning when he came up with the bases loaded and hit a bases clearing double.

Cameron Junker started the game for Notre Dame and allowed just four hits and struck out six in a career high six innings.

W: Cameron Junker, ND (1-2)

L: Jaret Bennett, CSU (0-2)

S: Tommy Vail, ND (1)

Game 4: Notre Dame 0 (4-7) - Ball State 2 (5-5)

The second game of the weekend against Ball State proved to be another pitcher’s duel, with even less offense than the first.

Ball State scored two runs in the game, one in the third inning and one in the eighth, both on sacrifice flies. That was all the offense in the game, as Notre Dame was blanked and the Irish pitching staff held the Cardinals scoreless otherwise.

Cole Kmet started the game for Notre Dame and set a career high in both innings and strikeouts, with 7.1 IP and 11 Ks.

W: Mike Pachmayer, BSU (2-0)

L: Cole Kmet, ND (0-1)

S: Kyle Nicholas, BSU (3)

Up Next

Notre Dame travels to Winston-Salem, NC for a three game series with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. This series will be the first ACC matchup of the year for the Irish.