Notre Dame Wins Road Series Against No. 17 Pittsburgh
Notre Dame baseball remained red shot to start the 2021 season, earning yet another road series victory over a ranked opponent. A week after splitting a two-game set against No. 7 Louisville, the 12th-ranked Irish went on the road and earned an impressive 2-1 series win over 17th-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers.
GAME 1 - NOTRE DAME 4, PITT 1
The Irish pitching was excellent the entire series, and it came in handy in the opener. Will Mercer got the start, pitching four scoreless innings in which he gave up just three hits and a walk while striking out four batter. Hard-throwing right hander Tanner Kohlhepp came in next and pitched three more scoreless innings.
Notre Dame struck first in the top of the fourth thanks to a pair of solo home runs from designated hitter Carter Putz (1) and first baseman Niko Kavadas (11). The Irish bats went silent over the next four innings before giving the bullpen some relief with a pair of runs in the top of the ninth.
Putz singled in the ninth and Kavadas drew a walk, and they came home to make it a 4-0 game.
Kohlkepp (2-1) got the win and Joe Sheridan picked up his second save of the season.
GAME 2 - PITT 3, NOTRE DAME 2
Left-hander John Michael Bertrand continued his outstanding 2021 season, pitching 7.1 innings of two-run ball. Bertrand gave up just two runs and struck out seven, but the Panthers win the game with two runs in the bottom of the eight after they touched up reliever Liam Simon for a run in the eighth.
Left fielder Ryan Cole went 3-4 and drove in a run in a losing effort. Kavadas, outfielder Spencer Myers and second baseman Kyle Hess had two hits apiece.
GAME 3 - NOTRE DAME 11, PITT 5
Pitching was the name of the game in the first two contests of the series, but the Irish bats woke up in impressive fashion in the rubber match.
Third baseman Jack Brannigan (1) got the Irish on the board with a solo shot to dead center in the top of the second. Kavadas was hit by a pitch to lead off the third and came in to score on a Brooks Coetzee groundout.
Starter Aidan Tyrell got in a lot of trouble in his 2.1 innings pitched, and the Panthers got a run off him in the bottom of the third, but the Irish bats had his back. Shortstop Zach Prajzner (2) drilled a home run to left to get things started. Catcher David Neri and centerfielder Spencer Myers had back-to-back singles, and Neri scored on a passed ball.
Cole drilled a double down the left field line to plate Myers, capping off the three-run inning.
The Irish broke the game open with five runs in the fifth, and all five runs came with two outs. Neri was hit by a pitch, and Myers and Cole drew back-to-back walks. Kavadas singled in a pair of runs and designated hitter Carter Putz broke the came open completely with a two-run bomb to put the Irish up 10-1.
Notre Dame is now 13-5 on the season and 12-5 in ACC play.
Notre Dame returns home this weekend for a three-game series against Georgia Tech (14-9 / 11-7).
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