Irish Sports Daily

For the second straight weekend, the Notre Dame baseball team grabbed a win on Sunday to salvage a weekend series.

The Irish dropped home games to Connecticut 3-1 and 6-3 before blasting the Huskies 14-4. The Irish move to 13-16-1 overall and 4-5 in the Big East after the weekend while UConn left the series with a 17-11-1 overall mark and a 7-2 record in the league.

Trey Mancini and Herman Petzold led the Irish offense by driving in four apiece while starting pitcher Todd Miller earned the win by allowing two runs and scattering eight hits over 6.2 innings of action. Sean Fitzgerald yielded a pair of runs on three hits in 1.1 innings, while Dan Slania tossed a scoreless ninth.

Greg Sherry had three hits for Notre Dame while Joe Hudson and Alex Robinson each had a pair.

Notre Dame got on top right away on Sunday, using three UConn errors in the bottom of the first to plate five runs. Mancini led off the third with a homer as the Irish pushed their lead to nine with four more. Petzold helped put the game out of reach in the seventh with a three-run double as four Notre Dame runs stretched its lead to 14-2.

Notre Dame will be back in action the weekend of the Blue-Gold Game with a three game home series with West Virginia. The set starts with a 7 p.m. on Friday at Frank Eck Stadium.

The Notre Dame baseball team salvaged the third game of a three-game set at Pittsburgh on Sunday by battling back from a pair of four-run deficits to beat the Panthers 8-6.

Pittsburgh won the first two games of the series, 6-5 and 3-2, but Notre Dame’s win on Sunday allowed the Irish to even their record at 3-3 in the Big East and jump to 11-14-1 overall. Pittsburgh fell to 15-10 overall and 3-3 in the conference.

Reliever Will Hudgins earned the win by tossing 1.1 scoreless, hitless innings for Notre Dame. Sean Fitzgerald was credited with the save by shutting out the Panthers over the final three frames. Fitzgerald sat down nine of the 10 batters he faced.

The Irish offense banged out 13 hits, led by three from Greg Sherry and two apiece from Mick Doyle, Eric Jagielo and Trey Mancini. Sherry had a pair of doubles, a run score and two RBI while Doyle had two doubles, a run and an RBI. Mancini added a three-run homer while Adam Norton had a hit and two RBI.

Notre Dame trailed 6-2 after five innings, but got one run back in the sixth before breaking out for five in the seventh to take the lead for good. Mancini’s blast tied the game, 6-6. Matt Grosso and Joe Hudson followed with consecutive two-out walks before Sherry’s single put the Irish on top. Norton’s single gave Notre Dame its insurance run.

Pittsburgh got to Irish starter Todd Miller for three runs in the first before Miller retired his next seven hitters. A solo homer in the fourth gave Pitt a 4-0 lead.

A run-scoring double by Doyle and a sacrifice fly by Norton cut the Panthers’ lead in half before two runs in the fifth pushed Pitt’s advantage back to four runs.

Notre Dame will be back in action on Tuesday with its annual contest with the South Bend SilverHawks at Frank Eck Stadium.

The Notre Dame baseball team split a pair of games in the 2011 Caravelle Resort Classic on Saturday in Conway, S.C. The Irish shut out UAB 3-0 in the opener, but fell to Coastal Carolina 4-3 in the night cap.

Starting pitcher Brian Dupra led threw eight shutout innings to lead to victory against the Blazers. Dupra allowed just three hits while striking out six and walking four. Dupra had walked just one batter in 21 innings coming into the game. During a stretch from the third to seventh inning, Dupra sat down 16 of the 17 batters he faced, including 13 straight.

Trey Mancini and Alex Robinson each had a pair of hits while Joe Hudson had a two-run single

Greg Sherry started the fifth-inning rally when he was hit by a pitch with one out. Robinson followed with a single to put runners on the corners. After Herman Petzold walked to load the bases with two outs, Sherry came home on a passed ball. Eric Jagielo was intentionally walked before Hudson laced his two-run single.

Dan Slania relieved Dupra in the ninth and picked up the save.

In game two, starting pitcher Cole Johnson was solid, striking out seven, walking two and allowing four runs and five hits in 7.2 innings, but Notre Dame wasn’t able to scratch out the tying run.

Coastal Carolina reliever Jordan Coons kept the Irish off the board for the final four innings of the game while allowing just one hit. The Irish had chances in the seventh and eighth after getting the leadoff batter on, but weren’t able to move the runner either time.

Frank DeSico had two hits while Mancini had two doubles, an RBI and scored a run. Mancini’s RBI double in the top of the first plated DeSico to give the Irish an early lead, but the Chanticleers scored two in the bottom half of the inning. Coastal Carolina tacked on one more in the third, but the Irish tied it 3-3 on Charlie Markson’s two-run double with two outs in the fourth.

The Chanticleers scored the winning run in the fifth.

The Irish, who sit at 5-7 on the season, wrap up the Caravelle Resort Classic against Kent State at 11 a.m. on Sunday.

The Notre Dame baseball team split its final two games of the 2011 Coca-Cola Classic on Saturday in Rock Hill, S.C. The Irish beat Manhattan 5-4 in 10 innings in the opener, but lost the nightcap to Host Winthrop 7-2. Notre Dame moves to 4-6 on the season.

Charlie Markson’s two-out single in the top of the 10th inning scored Trey Mancini, who reached on a double, with the winning run against Manhattan. Reliever Will Hudgins allowed one run and one hit in 2.1 innings and earned the win after sitting down the Jaspers in order in the bottom of the 10th.

Mancini led the Irish offense with three hits, an RBI and the winning run. Eric Jagielo had two hits, two RBI and a run while Herman Petzold had a pair of hits and scored a run. Starting pitcher Todd Miller struck out six, didn’t walk a batter and allowed three runs in 7.2 innings before giving way to Hudgins.

Manhattan led 3-0 after seven innings before Frank DeSico led off the top of the eighth with a walk. Petzold singled to put runners on first and second before DeSico and Petzold moved up on a wild pitch. Jagielo’s two-run single got the Irish on the board before Mancini’s single tied the game. Joe Hudson, who reached on an error, put the Irish on top when he scampered home on a Mick Doyle single.

The Jaspers pulled even in the bottom of the ninth before Markson’s hit put the Irish back on top.

Against Winthrop, Jagielo launched a solo homer and drew a bases-loaded walk, but it wasn’t enough as the Eagles scored the game’s first four runs and didn’t allow the Irish within three the rest of the way.

Starter Anthony McIver was hit with the loss after allowing four runs, two earned, and seven hits in five innings.

The Irish will be back in action next weekend at the Caravelle Resort Classic at Coastal Carolina. The Irish will play a doubleheader Saturday against UAB and Coastal Carolina before closing the weekend with a game against Kent State on Sunday.

The Notre Dame baseball team lost a pair of games in the 2011 Coca-Cola Classic at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., on Friday, dropping the Irish to 3-5 on the season and extending their losing streak to four games.

Notre Dame surrendered three games in the ninth to lose 5-2 to Manhattan before being beat by Winthrop 4-2.

Senior starter Brian Dupra was splendid in the opener, striking out 10 without a walk and giving up just two earned runs over eight innings. Dupra became the first Irish pitcher to strike out 10 or more batters in consecutive starts, but didn’t get enough help from the Irish offense. Notre Dame was limited to four hits and had no batter had more than one.

Notre Dame broke a 1-1 tie when it scored on an error in the bottom of the seventh, but the Jaspers scratched out a run to tie the game 2-2 in the top of the eighth. The Irish had the bases loaded in the bottom of the frame, but couldn’t capitalize.

Manhattan took advantage when Dupra was replaced in the ninth. Reliever Adam Norton allowed gave up a single and a double before intentionally walking the next batter to load the bases with two outs. Norton almost got himself out of the jam, but hit the next batter on an 0-2 pitch to give the Jaspers a 3-2 lead. The next batter laced a two-run single to account for the final score.

Against Winthrop, the Irish grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second inning when Frank DeSico scored on a Charlie Markson triple. Markson came home on Greg Sherry’s RBI groundout.

Cole Johnson started and shut out Winthrop in the first three frames, but Brett Thomas’ two-run double with two outs tied the game. The Eagles added two more in the bottom of the sixth, one an error, to take a 4-2 advantage.

Markson finished the second game 3-for-3 with the RBI and the run.

The Irish play Manhattan again on Saturday morning and will have a rematch with Winthrop afterward.

The Notre Dame baseball team used a career-high 11 strikeouts from starting pitcher Brian Dupra to shut out Seattle University 5-0 on Friday night at Husky Ballpark in Seattle.

Notre Dame moves to 3-1 on the season after dropping its opener while the Redhawks fall to 2-3.

Dupra went six innings before giving way to freshmen relievers Dan Slania and Anthony McIver. Sophomore Patrick Veerkamp kept the shutout intact by pitching the ninth. The Irish bullpen has yet to surrender a run this season in 10.2 innings of work with 11 strikeouts.

The Irish busted the game open in the eighth inning when sophomore Joe Hudson cranked a two-out, two-run double before freshman Trey Mancini’s two-run homer gave Notre Dame a five-run lead.

Alex Robinson got the Irish started in the third. He led off with a walk, went to second on a sacrifice bunt, took third on a passed ball and scored on senior Herman Petzold’s RBI single.

Robinson again started the eighth inning with a walk beofre a Mick Doyle single. Freshman Eric Jagielo was hit by a pitch after a double-play. Hudson came through with his double before trotting home on Mancini’s homer.

Notre Dame and Seattle will wrap up the three-game series with a doubleheader on Sunday.

The Notre Dame baseball team won its final game at the 2011 Big East/Big Ten Challenge on Sunday to wrap up its season-opening weekend with a winning record.

Irish starting pitcher Todd Miller struck out a career-high six and did not walk a batter while earning the victory as the Irish beat Penn State 8-5 in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Anthony McIver and Will Hudgins took over for Miller and combined for 2.2 innings of scoreless relief. Hudgins struck out the side in the ninth en route to his first save of the season.

Freshman first baseman Trey Mancini led Notre Dame’s offense with three hits, two runs scored and two RBI, including a solo home run. Mancini missed the cycle by a double. Frank DeSico had a pair of hits and an RBI while freshman outfielder Eric Jagielo scored twice and Herman Petzold scored a run and knocked in another.

Penn State took an early lead as Sean Deegan led off the game with a triple and scored on Jordan Steranka’s RBI single. Miller went on to retire eight straight Nittany Lion batters as the Irish offense got going.

Notre Dame took advantage of two Penn State errors to score five runs in the third inning. Mancini broke the game open with an RBI triple before capping the frame with a run on DeSico’s RBI single.

Penn State scratched out two unearned runs in the top of the fourth inning to cut the Irish lead to 5-3, but Miller sat the Nittany Lions down in order in the fifth and sixth inning. After Mancini launched the first homer of his career in the fifth and Jagielo scored on a wild pitch in the sixth, Penn State got closer with two more in the seventh, but the Irish bullpen shut the door.

Notre Dame will be back on the road next weekend with a three-game series against Seattle University. The Irish and Redhawks open the weekend series with at 6 p.m. (PST) on Friday at Everett Memorial Stadium in Everett, Wash. They will wrap up the set with games at Bannerwood Park in Bellvue, Wash., on Saturday and Sunday.

The Notre Dame baseball team bounced back from Friday’s season-opening loss in impressive fashion, drilling Purdue 19-2 in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Saturday evening.

The Irish even their record at 1-1 after losing to Michigan State 2-1 on Friday. The victory was the first for Mik Aoki as Notre Dame head coach.

While offense was a problem for Notre Dame in the opener, it certainly wasn’t on Saturday. Notre Dame set single-game records for runs and hits in the BIG EAST/Big Ten Challenge. Notre Dame played 19 runs on 25 hits. The 17-run margin of victory was the best for the Irish since they beat Georgetown 25-1 back in 2008.

Irish starting pitcher Cole Johnson earned the victory by allowing two runs on six hits in six innings. Johnson struck out four and walked two before giving way to freshmen Sean Fitzgerald and Donnie Hissa, who held the Boilermakers scoreless over the final three innings.

Alex Robinson led the Irish offense with a career-high five hits. He also scored three runs scored and knocked in another. Herman Petzold had three hits, two runs and four RBI while Eric Jagielo had four hits, four RBI and scored twice. Joe Hudson was 4-for-5, knocked in two and scored three times. Matt Scioscia added three hits, two runs and three RBI.

Purdue took an early a 2-0 lead, but Notre Dame broke the game open with 11 runs in the fourth inning.

The Irish will be back in action on Sunday at 10 a.m. against Penn State. Pitcher Todd Miller will start for Notre Dame.