The defense shut the door on the Eagles in the bottom of the first. Winthrop put runners on first and second with one out before Jared Zimbardo snagged a line drive on the fly in the right-center gap to record the second out. Dylan Heine then shut the door with a strikeout swinging to blank the Eagles in the opening frame.
Heine had the strong pick-off move in the bottom of the second to cut down a runner for Winthrop. The Eagles hit a two-out double, but Heine induced a fly ball to DM Jefferson in center field to keep the game scoreless.
Nick DeMarco drew a lead-off walk and Jayce Lee was hit by a pitch in the top of the third. DM Jefferson had a bunt single to drive in DeMarco, and Noah Coy used a safety sacrifice squeeze bunt to plate Lee from third. Bino Watters delivered a bouncer up the right foul line and into the corner for a triple, and Jefferson scored the third run of the inning for the Irish.
Heine used a three-up, three down third inning. The Eagles, however, got a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth to pull within one.
DM Jefferson and Noah Coy drew back-to-back walks in the top of the fifth to get things going with one out gone, but the Irish were unable to add to the lead. Dylan Heine got a one-pitch out, struck out the next batter, and induced an infield grounder to Estevan Moreno to make quick work of the Eagles’ offense in the bottom of the fifth.
Estevan Moreno laced a double to the left-center gap with one out and advanced to third on a groundout. Moreno then scored on a passed ball to put the Irish ahead 4-2 midway through the sixth. The Eagles put a pair on base with no outs. Nick DeMarco ran down a ball in foul territory for the first out. Estevan Moreno picked a tough grounder in the 5-6 hole, and DeMarco tagged out the runner for the second out. DJ Helwig then registered his first strikeout of the game to close out the inning.
Notre Dame added a run in the top of the seventh. Noah Coy beat out an infield single, and Parker Brzustewicz had a triple down the right field line to drive in Coy for a 5-3 advantage. DJ Helwig and the defense locked down the Eagles in the seventh. Estevan Moreno snagged a soft liner, Helwig dialed up another strikeout, and Brady Gumpf tracked down a fly ball in left to end the inning.
Gumpf then smashed a two-out solo home run over the left field fence for a 6-3 Notre Dame midway through the eighth. Ricky Reeth struck out the side in the bottom half of the inning. Reeth continued to deal and retired the side in order in the ninth to close out the 6-3 decision and earn the save on the bump – the first save of his collegiate career.
Dylan Heine earned the win on the mound for the Irish after going 5.0 and striking out four with no earned runs allowed. DJ Helwig went two complete with a pair of strikeouts, and Ricky Reeth went the final two innings and struck out four.
Seven different players registered a hit in the Notre Dame win. Brady Gumpf had a solo home run while Parker Brzustewicz and Bino Watters each tallied an RBI triple. Estevan Moreno had a double and scored a run, and Noah Coy had a hit, drove in a run, and scored once. DM Jefferson added a hit, a run, and an RBI for the Irish while Jayce Lee had a hit and scored once. Nick DeMarco drew two walks and scored a run in the victory.
The Irish (9-4) are back on the field tomorrow when they take on Winthrop starting at 4:00 p.m.