MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The third-ranked Notre Dame baseball team put together another strong performance on the mound Friday afternoon in its 6-1 win over Illinois at U.S. Bank Stadium.
The trio of Aidan Tyrell, Alex Rao and Jack Brannigan kept the Illini (2-5) at bay at the plate and allowed just one run. At the plate for the Irish (6-1), Brooks Coetzee III and TJ Williams both hit solo home runs while Jared Miller and Spencer Myers added 2-RBI singles. That was more than enough offense as the staff gave up two runs or less for the fourth-straight game.
How It Happened
The Irish got on the board first in the third inning after back-to-back hits from the bottom of the lineup. Coetzee III and David LaManna both singled to start the inning and ended up in scoring position thanks to an error by the shortstop after LaManna’s hit. Miller stepped up with the bases loaded and roped the first pitch to right field for a single where Coetzee III and LaManna both scored.
Notre Dame tallied two more runs in the next inning. Williams and Zack Prajzner got into scoring position with two outs in the frame. Facing a 1-2 count, Myers laced a single up the middle to score Williams and Prajzner and extended the Irish lead to 4-0.
Illinois got one run back in the bottom half of the fourth and the Irish lead stood at 4-1 after four.
Tyrell closed his outing after a scoreless frame in the fifth. He ended the day with 5.0 innings pitched with five strikeouts, no walks and only one run scored.
The Irish kept the offense going at the plate in the sixth, scoring another run with two outs. Coetzee III turned on a 2-0 fastball and drove it over the wall in left for a solo home run. It was his team-leading third home run of the season and gave the Irish a 5-1 advantage.
After gunning down a runner for a double play to end the seventh, Williams added to the Irish lead at the plate the very next inning. He crushed a solo home run to left for his first career home run and extended the Irish lead to 6-1.
Rao had three strong innings out of the pen as he struck out three and did not allow a run to score. Brannigan closed the door in the ninth after the first two runners reached base. He put down the next three batters to close out the win for the Irish.
Up Next
The Irish will be back in action at U.S. Bank Stadium on Saturday as they face their second of three Big 10 teams this weekend. Notre Dame will square off with Michigan State for the first of three matchups throughout this season. The Irish and Spartans are set for a Noon ET first pitch and it will be broadcast on Big 10 Network Plus.
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