Uh oh
Everything was in front of the Notre Dame baseball team on Tuesday night against the Boston College Eagles in the ACC Tournament — and they blew it. The Irish came into that game with an RPI of 40 and one of the last four teams in the NCAA Tournament (according to most projections). Still… they really needed a win against BC to feel comfortable, and a win over the Virginia Cavaliers to put it in stone.
They will have neither, and will now be at the mercy of the selection committee this weekend.
It could have been different, but losing by one run in an extra innings game which the Irish had bases loaded with one out at one point… that’s a blown opportunity.
From the ND press release:
Irish Fall to Eagles in Ten-Inning Contest
DURHAM, N.C. – The Notre Dame baseball team fell in a 5-4 late night contest in ten innings against Boston College in the ACC Tournament as the final out was recorded at 1:45 a.m. on Wednesday morning.
Rory Fox got off to a strong start in the top of the first needing just three pitches to strike out the lead-off man for the Eagles before inducing a grounder and striking out the third batter for a quick one-two-three effort. DM Jefferson and Carson Tinney hit back-to-back singles to lead off the bottom half of the inning to get things going for the Irish offense. Two batters later, Parker Brzustewicz went the other way with a ground-rule double to drive in Jefferson for the first run of the game. Connor Hincks then used a sacrifice fly to drive in Tinney for a 2-0 advantage for the Irish.
The Eagles used a two-out, three-run home run in the top of the second to shift the lead to the visiting side. The Irish put a pair on board in the bottom half of the inning after Nick DeMarco laced a single and DM Jefferson drew a walk, but Notre Dame was unable to push a run across. Boston College added another run in the top of the third with a safety squeeze bunt to make it a 4-2 game in favor of the Eagles.
Fox dialed up back-to-back strikeouts in the top of the fourth to retire the side in order for the Irish defense. Estevan Moreno then blasted the first pitch of his at-bat well over the left-center field wall to make it a one-run game through four complete. Fox then worked his way out of a jam after the Eagles put a pair on base with two outs in the top of the fifth as the junior used three pitches to get a strikeout to end the inning.
Estevan Moreno drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the sixth, and Jared Zimbardo went opposite field with a double to put a pair of runners into scoring position. Nick DeMarco was then hit by a pitch to load the bases for the Irish. Brady Gumpf drew a walk to plate Moreno to knot the game at 4-4.
The Eagles put runners on the corners with just one out gone in the top of the seventh. After a review brought a Boston College batter back to bat, Ricky Reeth dialed up a big strikeout for the second out of the stanza. The Irish then kept Boston College off the scoreboard with a bang-bang play at the plate that saw Carson Tinney dive to tag out a runner after a pitch got past the Notre Dame catcher and took a fortunate bounce off the backstop to set up the play at the dish.
Ricky Reeth made quick work of the Eagles in the top of the eighth, needing just nine pitches to retire the side in order and capping the frame off with a big strikeout. Nick DeMarco fielded a pair of grounders on either side of a solid play by Estevan Moreno up the middle to sit down the Eagles one-two-three in the top of the ninth.
Carson Tinney drew a lead-off walk in the bottom of the ninth, but the Irish were unable to push the game-winning run across.
The Eagles, meanwhile, led off the top of the tenth with a single to left field. Tobey McDonough induced a flyout to right field before a wild pitch put the runner on second. The next man up for Boston College drove in the run from second with a single to put the Eagles up 5-4. Carson Tinney cut down the runner trying to steal at second, and McDonough struck out the next man to send the game to the bottom of the tenth.
Jared Zimbardo kept the game alive with a two-out single to left field for the Irish in the bottom half of the stanza, but a ground out ended the chance as the Irish fell by the 5-4 final score in 10 innings.
Rory Fox posted a career-high nine strikeouts with a no-decision in 6.0 innings of work. Ricky Reeth allowed just one hit and struck out a pair in two innings of relief work. Tobey McDonough shouldered the loss on the hill in 2.0 innings with a strikeout.
Jared Zimbardo went 3-for-4 with a double, and Estevan Moreno was 1-for-4 at the dish with a solo home run and two runs scored. DM Jefferson and Carson Tinney each had a hit and scored a run. Parker Brzustewicz added a double and an RBI. Nick DeMarco registered a hit while Connor Hincks and Brady Gumpf each drove in a run.
The Irish (32-21) await the NCAA committee’s decision on whether or not they will be selected for the field of 64. The selection show takes place on Monday, May 26.