April 12, 2001
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The fourth-ranked Notre Dame baseball team racked up its most combined runs ever in a BIG EAST Conference doubleheader while improving its position atop the league standings, following a pair of wins over visiting Georgetown (15-4, 17-10) amidst heavy and swirling winds Thursday afternoon at Eck Stadium.
Notre Dame (29-5-1, 10-2 BIG EAST) collected 17 hits in each game while amassing 55 total bases in the two games, including 11 doubles, three triples and home runs from sophomore rightfielder Brian Stavisky and senior shortstop Alec Porzel (Lisle, Ill/Naperville North HS).
Five Irish players collected four-plus hits in the doubleheader, led by Porzel’s nine-RBI day that included a single, double, triple, home run (plus a walk) in eight at-bats, with five runs scored. Other top hitters included the junior trio of catcher Paul O’Toole (5-for-9, 5 RBI, 2B), centerfielder Steve Stanley (5-for-11, 5 R, 2 2B) and third baseman Andrew Bushey (4-for-9, 3 RBI, 3, 2 2B) while freshman first baseman Joe Thaman hit 4-for-6 and scored five runs.
Notre Dame rested the BIG EAST top two leaders in season ERA-senior righthanders Aaron Heilman (1.33, 8-0, 55 Ks) and Danny Tamayo (1.92, 4-1, 56 Ks)-with that duo set to start in Saturday’s doubleheader versus West Virginia. The Mountaineers (18-17, 5-7) dropped a pair at St. John’s on Thursday (1-0, 4-3), with WVU’s ace lefthander Shane Rhodes taking the hard-luck loss in the opener.
Sophomore righthander J.P. Gagne (3-2) turned in his fifth strong start of the season, allowing just two runs (one earned) on four hits and one walk over five innings of the opener, with three strikeouts. Junior righthander Drew Dufff (1-0) picked up his first decision of the season in the nightcap, yielding six runs on nine hits and two walks over seven innings (with five Ks).
Notre Dame-one of three BIG EAST teams to already have a bye week from league play-now has a three-game cushion in the loss column on three teams currently tied for second-Rutgers, Connecticut and St. John’s (all 10-5)-while Virginia Tech (8-5) plays two games at Rutgers on Friday (the rest of the BIG EAST schedule concludes on Saturday).
Georgetown fell to 3-12 in BIG EAST play and 9-28 overall.
The doubleheader marked the first time that the Irish had reached 15 runs in consecutive games since the 1993 postseason, when Notre Dame beat Evansville 22-5 in the title game of the MCC Tournament before downing Mississippi State 15-1 in the NCAA East Regional (at Florida State).
The Irish opened the day with another strong first inning, with the four-run spurt highlighted by Stavisky’s third home run of the season-a two-run shot that found the jetstream and sailed over the rightfield fence. Porzel then collected his second home run of the season-and second in as many days-in the eight-run fifth inning, powering a three-run shot into the teeth of the wind and over the leftfield fence.
Notre Dame now owns a .326 team batting average in BIG EAST games and is averaging one run per inning in conference games (including four double-digit efforts).
RECORD BOOK UPDATE: Porzel big day moved him up several Notre Dame career charts … his four hits pushed Porzel past Scott Sollmann (`94-’96, 239) into 8th on the Irish career hits list (240), just three behind former teammate Brant Ust (`97-’99, 243) … Porzel’s nine-RBI day rocketed him into 5th on the ND career RBI list (179), moving past former teammate J.J. Brock (`94-’97, 174) and Joe Binkiewicz (’89-’92, 176) and just 10 behind another former teammate, Jeff Wagner (`96-’99, 189) … the home run was the 31st of Porzel’s career, two shy of Binkiewicz for 6th in ND history … Porzel also added to his ND record for career doubles (64) while his 12 career triples rank 8th in the Irish record book … his five runs also moved Porzel past Wagner (158) into that Irish career top 10 list.
GEORGETOWN 1-0-0 1-0-1 1 – 4 7 2
NOTRE DAME 4-0-0 2-8-1 X – 15 17 4
Eric Sutton (L, 1-5), Kevin Galvin (5) and Michael Lombardi.
J.P. Gagne (W, 3-2), Aaron Edwards (6), Michael Morgalis (7) and Paul O’Toole, Soran Leahy (7).
Home Runs: Brian Stavisky, ND (one on in 1st, 3rd of season), Alec Porzel, ND (two on in 5th, 2nd of season).
Triples: Andrew Bushey (ND).
Doubles: Carlos Gazitua (GU), Steve Stanley 2 (ND), Steve Sollmann (ND), Kris Billmaier (ND), Andrew Bushey (ND).
GEORGETOWN (9-28, 3-12 BIG EAST) 0-0-3 0-3-0 0-4-0 – 10 13 3
NOTRE DAME (29-5-1, 10-2 BIG EAST) 2-2-0 6-5-1 1-0-X – 17 17 1
Drew Duff (W, 1-0), Nick Colagiovanni (8), Brandon Viloria (8), Mike Naumann (9) and Paul O’Toole, Soran Leahy (8).
Paul Perillo (L, 0-2), Patrick Salvitti (4), Tim Nunziata (7) and Michael Lombardi.
Home Run: Jamie Boice, GU (two on in 3rd, 1st of season).
Triples: Alec Porzel (ND), Matt Bok (ND), Jim Vankoski (GU).
Doubles: Ron Cano (GU), Steve Sollmann (ND), Alec Porzel (ND), Brian Stavisky (ND), Kris Billmaier (ND), Paul O’Toole (ND), Andrew Bushey (ND).