April 9, 2000
NOTRE DAME, Ind. (4/9/00) – Notre Dame junior righthander Aaron Heilman tossed his fifth complete game of the season in the 10-6 opener while Boston College won the 11-1 nightcap behind a complete game from senior righthander Steve Langone and a strong hitting performance from senior second baseman Mike Gambino, as the Irish and Eagles split a BIG EAST Conference doubleheader Sunday at Frank Eck Stadium.
Notre Dame (22-7, 6-3 BIG EAST)-which won the series opener on Saturday, 12-1-held just a 5-3 lead in Sunday’s first game before plating five runs in the bottom of the sixth. The first seven batters in the Irish lineup combined for 11 hits in the opener, led by a 3-for-4 game from senior first baseman Jeff Felker (including his third home run of the season).
Boston College (18-11, 5-6) pounded out 17 hits in the nightcap, equaling the third-most hits ever by a Notre Dame opponent at Eck Stadium in the seven-year history of the facility.
Heilman (6-1) registered his 11th complete game of his career, scattering eight hits and two walks while posting five strikeouts (BC’s final three runs came on Gambino’ wind-aided home run in the seventh). Junior righthander Erik Olson (2-2) took the loss, allowing four runs on five hits and six walks over the first four innings (with one K).
Langone (4-2)-who also hit third in the batting order as the Eagles DH-rarely faced many jams in the nightcap, allowing one unearned run, nine hits and one walk over the full nine innings while recording two strikeouts, 14 flyouts and 11 groundouts. Senior righthander Scott Cavey (3-2) suffered the loss, allowing seven runs (four of them earned) on 11 hits and one walk over 5.1 innings, with seven Ks.
Irish junior shortstop Alec Porzel collected singles in each game, extending his career-best hitting streak to 15 games. Senior catcher Matt Nussbaum pushed hit hitting streak to nine games in the opener, batting 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored (he hit 16-for-33 in that nine-game stretch before going 0-for-3 in the nightcap).
Notre Dame sophomore DH Paul O’Toole homered in the first game (his fourth of the season), giving him six home runs in his last 10 games at Eck Stadium. Freshman rightfielder Brian Stavisky was one of only two Irish players with multiple hits in the finale, batting 3-for-4 while scoring the lone Irish run.
Gambino reached base safely in each of his final nine trips to the plate on Sunday, with his line for the day including six hits in seven at-bats, plus one walk and two times hit-by-pitch. He hit 4-for-4 in the nightcap, with one walk, a HBP, three RBI and three runs scored. Eight other BC players combined on the 17 hits, including a 3-for-5 game from backup catcher Chris Rosado.
In five BIG EAST seasons, the Irish have won 28 of their 37 league series, with five series losses and four series ties. The Irish have won 11 of their last 13 BIG EAST series, with one tie. Notre Dame has played 35 all-time BIG EAST doubleheaders, sweeping 18, with 15 splits and two sweeps by the opponent (the Irish have played 26 straight BIG EAST doubleheaders since last being swept).
GAME 1 SCORING RECAP
* ND scored single runs in the first three innings … sophomore CF Steve Stanley led off the 1st with a double down the LF line, moved up on Stavisky’s groundout and scored on Nussbaum’s single through the right side … sophomore 3B Andrew Bushey walked on four pitches with one out in the 2nd, followed by sophomore LF Matt Bok’s full-count walk and a passed ball … Stanley then walked on a full count before Stavisky’s 3-1 walk forced home the second run … ND stretched to 3-0 in the 3rd, with Nussbaum delivering a one-out, full-count single up the middle before Felker sent a 2-2 single to right-center (Bushey’s groundball plated Nussbaum).
* The Irish tacked on two runs in the 5th, with Porzel’s leadoff walk ending the day for Olson … freshman RHP Matt Elfeldt then hit O’Toole with a 1-1 pitch and Felker sent an RBI single through the right side, with O’Toole ultimately scoring on a two-out wild pitch.
* BC finally cashed in some scoring chances with three runs in the 6th … Gambino beat out a grounder to the 3B Bushey before moving up on Mike Quirk’s groundout and Langone’s single through the right side … Jarett Mendoza then walked on four pitches and Neal McCarthy plated two runs with a hit that narrowly eluded the 1B Felker … Joe Kealty’s flyout to left field produced a 5-3 game.
* ND responded moments later with five runs … Stavisky hit a one-out, 1-2 double down the rightfield line and took third on a balk before scoring on Porzel’s single through the left side … O’Toole then lifted a 1-0 pitch into the gusting wind and over the rightfield fence … Nussbaum then walked on four pitches, bringing on junior LHP Mike Stuart, who served up Felker’s 2-0 shot to right.
* BC closed the game with three runs, after singles through the right side by Jeff Mackor and pinch hitter Mike Hubbard before Gambino’s fly ball carried in the wind and sailed over the rightfield fence for his first home run of the season.
GAME 2 SCORING RECAP
* BC opened the game with a run, as Gambino hit the first pitch of the inning through the right side before scoring on Kealty’s two-out single to right … the Eagles added two more runs in the 2nd, with Hubbard’s bases-loaded groundout plating Mendoza while Gambino scored Rosado with a first-pitch single through the left side.
* Gambino was hit by a full-count pitch to lead off the 4th and scored an unearned run when Porzel failed to come up with a two-out groundball off the bat of Kealty, for a 4-0 BC lead.
* BC stretched to a 7-0 cushion in the 6th (including two unearned runs), with Gambino again sparking the rally with a leadoff single to center … Langone and Quirk both delivered one-out, two-strike singles to center, ending the day for Cavey … sophomore RHP Matt Buchmeier served up a groundball from McCarthy but Felker let the ball go through his legs … Mendoza capped the inning with a sacrifice fly to center.
* ND plated its first run moments later, with Stavisky reaching on a one-out infield single and moving up on the throwing error by the 2B Gambino … Porzel followed with a single to left and O’Toole plated the runner with a 1-2 single through the left side.
* BC added two more runs in the 7th, with Mike Quirk singling home Hubbard while McCarthy’s single plated Gambino … the Eagles tacked on two more in the 8th, as Gambino’s single to center plated Rosado and Hubbard.
BOSTON COLLEGE 0-0-0 0-0-3 3 - 6 8 0NOTRE DAME 1-1-1 0-2-5 X - 10 11 1Olson, Elfedt (5), Stuart (6) and Mackor. Heilman and Nussbaum
BOSTON COLLEGE 1-2-0 1-0-3 2-2-0 - 11 17 1NOTRE DAME 0-0-0 0-0-1 0-0-0 - 1 9 2Langone and Rosado. Cavey, Buchmeier (6), Carlin (8), O'Hagan (8), Kalita(9) and Nussbaum, Bok (7).