ELON, N.C. — The third-ranked Notre Dame baseball team used a big third inning to blow by Elon in the 11-3 win Tuesday afternoon at Latham Park. The Irish (9-1) scored eight runs in the third and did not look back as they won their seventh-straight game as they head into ACC play.
Brooks Coetzee III has been one of the best hitters for the Irish the season and it showed against the Phoenix (6-6). He went 2-for-3 from the plate with a home run, a double and five RBI. The five RBI tied a career high for Coetzee III and he leads the team this season with four home runs and 11 RBI.
How It Happened
Jack Findlay made his first career start against the Phoenix and got off to a hot start. He struck out two batters, getting them both looking, in the first inning of his collegiate career. He picked up his third strikeout in the second inning, once again getting the batter looking on the third strike.
The Irish got the scoring going in the third inning as they put a crooked number on the scoreboard. Notre Dame loaded the bases with no outs and Jack Penney brought the first run of the inning in on a single to right field. David LaManna scored next on an error by the Phoenix followed by an RBI single from Carter Putz. Penney scored later in the inning on the sacrifice fly from Jack Brannigan and the Irish weren’t done in the inning.
Coetzee III cleared the bases with a three-run blast over the wall in left center for his team-leading fourth home run of the season. The Irish added one more run in the inning after an RBI single from David LaManna and the Irish led 8-0 after three.
Coetzee III continued his big day in the fourth inning with a double down the right field line. He scored Putz and DM Jefferson on the play and increased the Notre Dame lead to 10-0.
Fellow freshman Caden Aoki relieved Findlay in the fourth inning and tossed 2.0 innings in his second appearance of the season. He was followed on the mound by graduate student Matt Lazzaro for his first appearance with the Irish. He pitched 1.2 innings in his Irish debut and did not allow a hit or a walk.
Radek Birkholz was the next Irish hurler to enter the game in the bottom of the seventh to get the final out of the inning. In the eighth, Jackson Dennies headed to the mound for his second appearance of the year.
The Irish got another run in the ninth after Prajzner led the inning off with a ground-rule double. He came home to score on the next play as Danny Neri singled up the middle.
Roman Kimball was the final pitcher for the Irish against the Phoenix. He got the final three outs in the ninth by striking out the side to close out the seventh-straight win for the Irish.
Up Next
The Irish will stay in North Carolina as they prepare to open ACC play this upcoming weekend. The Irish open the conference season with a three-game series at NC State in Raleigh. The series begins Friday night at 6 p.m. ET and it will be broadcast nationally on the ACC Network.
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