April 3, 2001
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Sophomore lefthander Luke Hagerty picked up his first win of the season while the Ball State offense cashed in a pair of Notre Dame errors for what proved to be two crucial runs, as the Cardinals edged the sixth-ranked Irish, 4-3, in non-conference action Tuesday night at Eck Stadium.
Notre Dame (21-5-1) had plenty of chances-with 12 hits (none of them for extra bases) and 18 total baserunners-but the Irish left 13 men on base while also hitting into a double play and having another runner picked off.
Sophomore righthander Peter Ogilvie (2-1) was the hard-luck loser, scattering eight hits over the first six innings while posting five strikeouts and no walks. Ogilvie-who did not pitch as a freshman due to injury-had not allowed an earned run in his first 21 innings of work before giving up two runs in the third.
Notre Dame answered with an unearned run in the bottom of the third and both teams added single runs in the fifth and sixth innings for the final margin.
Hagerty (1-2) stayed out of major trouble despite allowing nine hits and four walks over five and two-thirds innings, with four strikeouts.
The game brought back memories of the last series meeting, with BSU also winning by a 4-3 score at Eck Stadium in that 1998 matchup with the Irish.
Sophomore righthander Paul Henry-BSU’s starting shortstop-allowed two hits over the final two shutout innings to pick up his second save of the season.
The Cardinals’ two-run third included three first-pitch singles and and Scott French’s full-count hit to plate the first run. Doug Boone drove the first pitch of the inning up the middle and moved up on Eric Bava’s sacrifice bunt, with French then delivering a two-out single through the left side. Henry and Matt Wood singled on the next two pitches, for the 2-0 lead.
Steve Stanley led off the bottom of the inning with a single through the left side and Steve Sollmann then legged out a bunt single to the left side. A few pitches later, the Irish went with the double steal and Stanley scored when the catcher Boone’s throw skipped into center field.
Henry stroked a one-out double to right-center in the fifth and took an extra base when rightfielder Brian Stavisky bobbled the ball. Wood’s rightside groundout then pushed BSU to a 3-1 lead.
Sollmann answered with a full-count single to left-center to lead off the bottom of the fifth and stole second before scoring on Stavisky’s looping single to center on a 3-0 count.
BSU restored the two-run cushion moments later, thanks to Aaron Zehnal’s leadoff blooper that landed just inside the leftfield line and a dropped ball by the shortstop Porzel on a routine 4-6 groundout. Boone then bunted the runners over and Bava lifted sacrifice fly to left field.
The Irish forged a 4-3 game in the bottom of the frame, with Andrew Bushey drawing a one-out walk on four pitches and scooting to third on Joe Thaman’s two-out single through the right side. Stanley then walked on four pitches-ending Hagerty’s day-and Sollmann forced home Bushey with a five-pitch walk versus freshman righthander John Pettitbone.
Junior righthander Drew Duff kept Notre Dame close by facing just 10 batters over the final three innings but the Irish failed to plate the equalizer-leaving runners on base in the seventh, eighth and ninth (2).
NOTES: Thaman (9), Stavisky (8), Sollmann (8) and Porzel (7) each extended their hitting streaks but Bushey saw his career-best hitting streak (and best by an ND player this season) end at 13 games (he was 0-for-4 with a walk) … Ogilvie and Duff combined to lower ND’s impressive team ERA (from 2.52 to 2.50) … errors by the Irish defense had produced just 16 unearned runs in the previous 26 games … Sollmann (2-for-3) boosted his season average to .429 in his quest to become the first Irish player to hit .400-plus since his brother Scott batted .402 in 1994 and 405 in ’95.
Ball State (14-13) 0-0-2 0-1-1 0-0-0 – 4 11 1
#6 Notre Dame (21-5-1) 0-0-1 0-1-1 0-0-X – 3 12 2
Luke Hagerty (L, 1-2), John Pettibone (6), Mike Johnston (7), Paul Henry (8, SV-8) and Doug Boone.
Peter Ogilvie (L, 1-2), Drew Duff (7) and Paul O’Toole.
Doubles: Paul Henry (BSU), Eric Bava (BSU).