Happy Mother’s Day
It was a good day for all of the Notre Dame mothers as the Irish finished up a dominating sweep of Bowling Green on Sunday. The Irish swept the Falcons using just 24 innings in games by outscoring them 25-2.
From the ND press release:
Irish Sweep Series Against Falcons with Shutout Win
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Notre Dame baseball team fought their way to a 4-0 win at Bowling Green on Sunday to secure the series sweep against the Falcons.
The Falcons got the lead-off man on second with a single hit and an error, but Jackson Dennies locked down the Bowling Green bats with a pair of strikeouts on either side of a groundout to end the bottom of the first.
Brady Gumpf took advantage of the sun with a high-lofted fly ball that fell in center field for a double with two outs in the top of the third, but the Irish were unable to capitalize.
Dennies got out of a jam in the bottom of the third after the Falcons loaded the bases with two outs. The graduate student right-handed pitcher snagged a comeback line drive to slam the door shut on a scoring chance for Bowling Green as the game remained scoreless.
Davis Johnson had a one-out single up the middle in the top of the fourth and moved into scoring position on a grounder. The Falcons, however, continued to hold the Irish offense at bay with another out to end the inning.
Jackson Dennies rang up back-to-back strikeouts in the bottom of the fourth before inducing a pop up to end the inning as the game remained scoreless.
Nick DeMarco dropped a well-placed double down the left field line with two outs in the top of the fifth. Brady Gumpf had an extra-base hit robbed at the warning track in the left-center gap as the Irish were held off the scoreboard again. The Irish defense, meanwhile, forced the Falcons into stranding a runner on second after a flyout and a groundout flipped the game over to the sixth.
DM Jefferson drew a lead-off walk before Carson Tinney was hit by a pitch to put a pair of runners on base in the top of the sixth. A well-placed bunt by Davis Johnson led to an infield single and a throwing error while Jefferson came around to score to break the stalemate. Parker Brzustewicz bounced a single up the middle to drive in both Tinney and Johnson as the lead quickly grew to 3-0.
A line-drive double play to Connor Hincks at second base made quick work of the Falcons in the bottom of the sixth. Brady Gumpf then drew a lead-off walk, and Carson Tinney reached on an error with one out gone. Davis Johnson then used a sacrifice fly to right field to drive in Gumpf for a 4-0 Notre Dame lead.
The Irish got out of a jam in the bottom of the seventh as Oisin Lee induced an easy groundout to Connor Hincks at second base to force the Falcons into stranding a pair. The defense came through with a pair of strong plays by Hincks and Moreno before Gumpf corralled a fly out in right field to end the eighth in order.
The Falcons put a runner on base in the bottom of the ninth with a two-out single, but Tobey McDonough closed things out with a grounder to Parker Brzustewicz to secure the 4-0 win and the series sweep.
Jackson Dennies earned the win on the mound with a quality start for the Irish. Dennies went 6.0 and scattered four hits with no walks and five strikeouts. Oisin Lee went 1.0 with a strikeout, and Tobey McDonough went the final 2.0 on the bump and needed just 17 pitches to help secure the shared shutout effort by the Irish pitching staff.
Davis Johnson was 2-for-3 on the day with an RBI and a run. Parker Brzustewicz added a hit and two RBI. Brady Gumpf had a double, drew a walk, and scored a run. Nick DeMarco belted a double while DM Jefferson and Carson Tinney each scored once.
The Irish (29-19) are scheduled to host Eastern Michigan on Tuesday, May 13 at 4:30 p.m. for their final non-league contest of the regular season. All home regular season baseball games at Frank Eck Stadium are free of charge.