Notre Dame Baseball Earns Fourth Straight Series Victory
Notre Dame dropped the rubber match of its three-game series against Duke, but that didn't stop the Fighting Irish from winning the series two games to one. It was Notre Dame's fourth straight series victory, and the Irish have yet to drop a series under second-year head coach Link Jarrett.
GAME 1 - NOTRE DAME 6, DUKE 4
Game one of the series was the longest, as the Fighting Irish won with a walk-off two-run homer from left fielder Ryan Cole.
“Just a great win,” said head coach Link Jarrett following the victory. “I thought our guys competed very well. [Joe] Sheridan did his thing again and chewed up over six innings. Tanner [Kohlhepp] continues to develop for us. Then the offensive outburst in the 13th inning sealed it for us. [Niko] Kavadas led us off with the double, [Ryan] LaManna had his signature at-bat to move the runner over and Cole had his moment to win it.”
Notre Dame had to rally in the win, trailing Duke 4-2 in the sixth inning before Kavadas drilled a shot down the right field line and over the fence to tie the game. Kavadas doubled to lead off the 13th inning before scoring the winning run on Cole's home run.
With starting pitcher Tommy Sheehan out with an injury the Irish were able to use four different pitchers to secure the win. Will Mercer got the start, allowing three runs in just 3.1 innings. Sheridan came in late and held Duke scoreless over 6 1/3 innings. Kohlkepp pitched the final three innings, striking out four as he held the Blue Devils scoreless.
GAME 2 - NOTRE DAME 6, DUKE 2
Left-handed starting pitcher John Michael Bertrand was brilliant in game two, pitching a complete game for the victory. It marked the third straight start with Bertrand going at least seven innings. He allowed just five hits and two runs in the victory while striking out six. Bertrand, a graduate transfer from Furman, improved to 3-0 on the season.
“Bertrand has been awesome at every phase of his game,” said Jarrett following the win. “From his plays in the field to the pickoff to end the game, he is so prideful in how hard he works and it shows.”
The Irish bats were quiet through five innings, and Duke took a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth inning. Notre Dame's bats backed their starter in the bottom of that same inning, due in large part to a three-run bomb from Kavadas, who drilled his seventh home run of the season to give the Irish a lead it would not lose.
Kavadas drove in four runs in the victory. Cole also went yard in the game, giving him a home run in back-to-back games, his first two of the season.
GAME 3 - DUKE 2, NOTRE DAME 0
Game three was a pitchers duel, but the two runs Duke scored in the first two innings of the game were enough, as the Irish offense mustered just one hit in the loss, a single by Cole.
Righty Alex Rao came out of the pen and pitched 5.1 innings, giving up just one hit while striking out five. Rao replaced starter Aiden Tyrell and immediately got out of a two-on, no-out jam by inducing a double play and striking out Rudy Maxwell to end the inning.
The 15th-ranked Irish are now 9-3 on the season, all conference games.
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