May 6, 2001
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Connecticut used a 21-hit attack and runs in each of the final eight innings on Sunday to defeat top-ranked Notre Dame, 19-12, ending the longest conference winning streak in BIG EAST history at 18 games.
Notre Dame (43-8-1, 20-3) failed to tie the team record for regular-season victories (the 1990 team won 44) while losing for the third time in its last five home games. The Irish fell behind 10-4 after five innings and chipped away with four runs in the sixth and two each in the seventh and ninth-but the Huskies continually had an answer to maintain their cushion.
Connecticut (25-25, 13-13)-which was eliminated from the BIG EAST Tournament race due to West Virginia’s win over Georgetown-nearly s scored in the first inning before plating runs in each of the final eight frames. Senior DH Mike Scott (RBI, 3 R, BB, 2B) and sophomore third baseman Dan Trubia (3 RBI, 4 R, 2B) had four hits each to pace the Huskies attack.
UConn continually came through with two outs, as all but six of its19 runs were scored with two outs already in the books.
Notre Dame’s 15-hit day included seven players with two hits each while four different Irish players collected two RBI and three scored twice (junior catcher Paul O’Toole crossed the plate three times).
Notre Dame entered the day with an average of just 1.4 errors per game this season before stumbling to a seven-error game that produced three unearned runs (the Irish did not commit more than four errors in a game prior to Sunday).
UConn’s big inning came in the fourth, when five hits and two walks led to five runs for the visitors. Trubia delivered the big hit of the inning, on a bases-loaded single through the left side of the infield that plated two runs.
Sophomore righthander J.P. Gagne (5-2) suffered his first loss since early March, after allowing nine runs (eight earned) on nine hits and four walks over the first three-plus innings.
The teams combined for 36 hits-the second-highest total in the eight-year history of games played at Eck Stadium-including three home runs, two triples and 11 doubles.
AROUND THE BIG EAST: Six teams remain in the running to join ND in the four-team BIG EAST Tournament field: Rutgers (15-8), Virginia Tech (13-9-1), St. John’s (13-10), Seton Hall (12-10-1), West Virginia (11-12) and Boston College (10-11) S selection is based on winning pct. (BC had a DH rained out vs. Pitt) S next week’s schedule: ND at BC, SJU at RU, WVU at SHU and VT at Pitt.
NOTES: Junior CF Steve Stanley (2-for-4 in Sunday) collected seven hits during the series for 246 in his career, moving past three-year players Scott Sollmann (239, ’94-’96) and Brant Ust (243, ’97-’99) and tied with former teammate Jeff Felker (’00) for 7th on the ND career hits list (senior SS Alec Porzel is 5th, at265) S Porzel made the 223rd start of his ND career, tying Craig Counsell (’92) for 2nd in ND history, trailing only J.J. Brock’s 238 from 1994-98 S Porzel also now is tied with Felker for 4th in games played (228), 10 back of Brock’s record total S Porzel’s 849 career at-bats leave him 11 shy of Brock’s ND record S Stanley’s 166 career runs are tied with Dan Peltier (’87-’89) for 9th in ND history S freshman 1B Joe Thaman made two errors after totaling just three in the first 51 games S Porzel continues to add to his ND record for career doubles (he hit his 75th on Sunday, 14 more than any previous ND player) while his 25 two-baggers this season rank behind only Peltier’s 32 (’89) in the ND record book.
CONNECTICUT (25-25, 13-13 BIG EAST) 0-1-3 5-1-2 2-1-4 - 19 21 1#1 NOTRE DAME (43-8-1, 20-2 BIG EAST) 1-1-0 2-0-4 2-0-2 - 12 15 7
Jesse Carlson, Mike Mocerino (4, W, 1-0), Jeff Fulchino (6, SV-3) and Mike LeonardJ.P. Gagne (L, 5-3), Drew Duff (4), Peter Ogilvie (5), Matt Laird (9),Michael Morgalis (9) and Paul O'Toole.Home Runs: Russ D'Argento, UC (solo in 1st, 4th of season), BrianTisbert, UC (solo in 3rd, 1st of season), Joe Thaman, ND (solo in 9th,2nd of season).Triples: Paul O'Toole (ND), Joe Thaman (ND).Doubles: Brian Stavisky 2 (ND), Alec Porzel (ND), Ken Meyer (ND), AndrewBushey 2 (ND), Mike Scott (UC), Dan Trubia (UC), Brian Tisbert (UC),Michael Tripaldi (UC), Gary Dunn (UC).