SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Notre Dame (27-22) fell 5-2 in the series finale Sunday to Toledo (25-27) after having secured the series with Friday and Saturday wins.
INF Jack Penney led the Irish with two hits, including a home run, and OF Brady Gumpf added a home run, as well. With the two home runs, the Irish now have 83 on the season, extending their single-season program record.
RHP Rory Fox (2-2) went five innings with five strikeouts, shouldering the loss. RHP Tobey McDonough delivered an impressive relief performance, going three innings, allowing just one hit with no runs and striking out six.
Notre Dame posted just one error on the series, having entered the weekend as the best defensive team in the nation with a 0.984 fielding percentage.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Fox threw eight pitches in the first inning, all strikes, to strike out two batters and retire the side. The Irish went three up, three down in the bottom half.
Notre Dame again sat the Rockets down in order in the second inning, as Fox added a strikeout. In the bottom of the inning, Gumpf sent a two-out solo homer for Notre Dame’s 82nd of the season, giving the Irish a 1-0 lead.
Toledo turned it on in the top of the third, leading off with a single and sending a home run to right field to take the lead. After a groundout, another home run increased the lead to 3-1. Fox, Penney and INF Josh Hahn turned Notre Dame’s 44th double play of the season to end the inning and limit the damage. The Irish were retired in order in the bottom of the third.
Fox added two strikeouts in the top of the fourth, conceding a double but holding Toledo from scoring. Notre Dame again was unable to get things going at the plate, sitting down in order.
After two outs in the top of the fifth, Toledo drew a walk, and a subsequent home run scored two for the Rockets, putting Toledo up 5-1. In the bottom of the inning, Gumpf took a HBP, and a single from C Joey Spence pushed Gumpf to third, but both were stranded on base to end the inning.
McDonough entered to pitch for the Irish to begin the sixth and posted two strikeouts en route to sitting the side. Penney added a single in the sixth, but was unable to come home.
Both sides went down in order in the seventh as McDonough added another strikeout. In the eighth, Toledo notched a hit, but McDonough dealt three strikeouts to bring his outing total to six. INFs Nick DeMarco and Estevan Moreno entered to pinch hit in the bottom of the eighth, but the Irish were unable to score.
RHP Caden Spivey took the mound in the top of the ninth for the Irish. After a single, Gumpf took care of the next two outs, including a diving catch in right center field for the second out. RHP Ryan Lynch then entered to pitch for Notre Dame. After a walk, RHP David Lally took the mound and struck out the final batter.
In the bottom of the inning, Penney sent a solo homer to pull within three runs of the Rockets, but Toledo held on for the 5-2 win.
UP NEXT
The Irish go on the road for a midweek matchup on Tuesday, May 14 at Butler. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET. Notre Dame will stay on the road for the final ACC series of the season vs. Louisville, beginning on Thursday with a 6 p.m. ET first pitch.