Notre Dame Baseball Wins Series Over NC State

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish baseball team welcomed the #14 ranked N.C. State Wolfpack to South Bend this weekend for a three game series. In what was their annual Strikeout ALS Weekend, the Irish and Wolfpack split the first two games of the series before Notre Dame came away with the win in the rubber match for the series victory.

Game 1: Notre Dame 5 (18-22, 11-11) - NC State 4 (32-11, 13-9)

NC State got things started in the second inning when Evan Edwards doubled to left to start the inning. He later came around to score to give the Wolfpack a 1-0 lead.

Notre Dame came right back in the bottom half of the inning though. Daniel Jung started things off with a double. Later, after Eric Gilgenbach was hit by a pitch and Jared Miller walked, the bases were loaded. David LaManna singled in a run and Spencer Myers drew a bases load walk to give the Irish a 2-1 lead.

NC State added a second run in the fourth inning, tying the game on a solo home run from Luca Tresh. Again though, Notre Dame answered right back in the bottom half. Jared Miller hit a solo home run of his own to restore the Irish lead.

In the top of the fifth, the Wolfpack responded immediately by adding two more runs on another home run, giving themselves a 4-3 lead.

Notre Dame got things going again in the seventh inning. Zack Prajzner started the inning with a single to center field and Spencer Myers reached base on a bunt single. Jack Zyska followed with a two-RBI double for a 5-4 lead. Tommy Vail came in to pitch for Notre Dame and held the Wolfpack scoreless for the final two innings to seal the win.

W: Andrew Belcik, ND (1-3)

L: David Harrison, NCST (0-1)

S: Tommy Vail, ND (4)

Game 2: Notre Dame 2 (18-23, 11-12) - NC State 4 (33-11, 14-9)

Notre Dame struck first in game two in the fourth inning. Daniel Jung led off the inning with a double to right center field. Eric Gilgenbach then singled to bring him around to score for the 1-0 lead.

NC State then opened their scoring in the top of the fifth inning. With the bases loaded, Tyler McDonough doubled, clearing the bases for a 3-1 lead. He later came around to score to make it 4-1.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Irish loaded the bases and added a second run on an RBI single from Spencer Myers, but it was all they would get in the inning and they fell 4-2.

W: Evan Justice, NCST (3-0)

L: Cameron Junker, ND (2-2)

S: Nick Swiney, NCST (1)

Game 3: Notre Dame 4 (19-23, 12-12) - NC State 1 (33-12, 14-10)

For the third time in the series, the team that scored first lost the game. On Sunday, NC State opened things up in the first inning. After two hits put runners on the corners, Cameron Brown forced a double play that allowed the first run to score.

Notre Dame was finally able to get on the scoreboard in the fifth inning. Jared Miller led off the inning with a single and later moved up to second after a sacrifice bunt. Zack Prajzner then drove him in with a single to tie the game at one.

The Irish then came back for more in the sixth inning. Eric Gilgenbach came up to the plate with the bases loaded and drove in one run with a single. Jack Zyska then scored on a sacrifice fly before David LaManna singled home the third run of the inning for the Irish and fourth of the game.

Joe Boyle and Tommy Vail combined to shut NC State down for the rest of the game and hole on for the Notre Dame win.

W: Cameron Brown, ND (3-5)

L: Canaan Silver, NCST (1-2)

S: Tommy Vail, ND (5)

Up Next

Notre Dame stays in South Bend as they welcome the Louisville Cardinals this weekend for another ACC series.