Offense Powers Notre Dame Baseball to Sweep of Virginia

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish baseball team finished their most recent homestand this weekend with an ACC series against the #8 ranked Virginia Cavaliers. The story of the weekend was the Notre Dame offense, as the powered their way to a sweep of Virginia and a total output of 25 runs over the three games.

Game 1: Notre Dame 10 (21-15, 9-10) - Virginia 7 (32-7, 12-7)

Win: Aidan Tyrell, ND (7-1)

Loss: Brian Edgington, UVA (6-2)

Save: Radek Birkholz, ND (1)

Things started a little slow in game one, but picked up quickly once they got moving. Virginia took an early lead with a run in the first inning and Notre Dame tied the score in the second with a Jack Penney home run. It stayed that way until the fourth inning when the offenses really got moving.

Virginia scored four runs in the top of the fourth inning and took a 5-1 lead over Notre Dame. The Irish responded with two runs in the fourth, three in the fifth, and one in the sixth. Home runs from DM Jefferson and Estevan Moreno started off the string of scoring innings for Notre Dame, an RBI double from Vinny Martinez was sandwiched in the middle, and Estevan Moreno finished things off with his second home run of the day.

The offenses went quiet for an inning and then were back at it in the eighth, with Virginia scoring one run to cut the lead to 7-6. Notre Dame added insurance in the bottom half though, as Brady Gumpf and Estevan Moreno hit home runs in the bottom half of the eighth inning scoring three more runs. It was Moreno’s third home run of the day. Virginia added one more run in the ninth inning but Radek Birkholz was able to limit them to that and hold on for the Irish win.

Game 2: Notre Dame 10 (22-15, 10-10) - Virginia 2 (32-8, 12-8)

Win: Blake Hely, ND (2-1)

Loss: Jack O’Connor, UVA (4-2)

Notre Dame didn’t wait to get the offense going in game 2, scoring twice in the bottom half of the first inning. Carter Putz hit a solo home run and later in the inning, with two runners on, DM Jefferson doubled to bring home another run. Jack Penney hit a home run in the third inning and Zack Prajzner had an RBI single in the fourth and Notre Dame built a 4-0 lead early.

Virginia scored two runs in the sixth inning and Notre Dame answered with three of their own in the bottom half on a three run home run from Vinny Martinez. The Irish added another run in the seventh and two more in the eighth for a final 10-2 score.

Game 3: Notre Dame 5 (23-15, 11-10) - Virginia 4 (32-9, 12-9)

Win: Caden Spivey, ND (2-0)

Loss: Jake Berry, UVA (0-4)

If the first two games were powered by Notre Dame’s offense then game three was more back and forth. Virginia opened the scoring in the second inning but Notre Dame answered in the bottom half with a sacrifice fly from DM Jefferson. The Irish scored again in the third inning to take the lead with an RBI single from Carter Putz.

Virginia retook the lead with two runs in the fourth inning and added another in the fifth for a 4-2 lead. In the bottom of the fifth Notre Dame retook the lead and held onto it. With runners on the corners Zack Prajzner got into a rundown off first base long enough to allow Estevan Moreno to score from third. Later in the inning Vinny Martinez doubled to bring home two more runs. Neither team was able to score again and Notre Dame held on for the 5-4 win and the series sweep.

Up Next

Notre Dame travels to East Lansing, MI this week for a game against the Michigan State Spartans. They return home on the weekend when they welcome the Florida State Seminoles and former head coach Link Jarrett to Frank Eck Stadium for three games.