SOUTH BEND, Ind. — In front of a packed house at Frank Eck Stadium, the top-ranked Notre Dame baseball team won its 10th game in a row after the 12-1 victory over Valparaiso in the home opener on Tuesday.
The Irish (12-1) scored six runs in the first three innings and put a six-spot up in the eighth to score in double figures for the second-straight game and sixth time this season. The Irish deployed six pitchers on the afternoon and limited the Beacons (5-7) to one run and five hits. It was the 10th time this season they have allowed three runs or less.
Brooks Coetzee III led the Irish at the plate with three hits, including his team-high fifth home run of the season. He was a triple shy of the cycle and tallied two runs and 2 RBI. 11 different players recorded hits and the team finished with 16, the fifth time this season they have had 15 or more in a game.
Jack Findlay got the win in the bullpen game as he went 2.1 innings, the longest of any pitcher for the Irish, and left the game with a 4-0 advantage for the Irish. Alex Rao, Caden Aoki, Roman Kimball, Liam Simon and Radek Birkholz all saw time on the mound in the win.
How It Happened
The Irish got ahead early against the Beacons, plating two runs in the bottom of the first. Ryan Cole singled to right to score TJ Williams and Cole scored on the sacrifice fly by Jack Brannigan to put the Irish up 2-0.
Notre Dame scored two more in the bottom of the second to double their lead. Jack Penney doubled to the wall in center to score Brooks Coetzee III and DM Jefferson drove in Penney with an RBI single. After two innings, the Irish led 4-0.
The Irish continued the scoring in the third, doing all their damage with two outs. Danny Neri doubled to center field and got Coetzee III into the batters box. He cleared the wall and the wind screen in left field for his team-leading fifth home run of the season. His two-run blast gave the Irish a 6-0 advantage.
The offense stayed quiet until the final inning at the plate where they doubled the score with six runs in the eighth. Williams started the scoring with an RBI double and was followed by a two-run home run from Jack Zyska. It was his third home run of the season and second home run on the day for the Irish. Nick Juaire doubled off the wall in center to drive in a run and then Brady Gumpf got his first career hit, a double down the line in left, to score two.
Up Next
The Irish head back out on the road for another ACC series this weekend. They will travel south to take on Louisville in a three-game set at Jim Patterson Stadium starting Friday night. The opening game of the series will be nationally televised on ACC Network with first pitch set for 7 p.m. ET.
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