April 14, 2001
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame’s Aaron Heilman (Logansport, Ind.) and Danny Tamayo (Miami, Fla.) made another strong statement Sunday for being the top 1-2 pitching combination in college baseball, combining for a pair of complete-game victories over visiting West Virginia, 4-1 and 8-1, as the fourth-ranked Irish continued their march to one of the most successful seasons in the program’s 109-year history.
Notre Dame (31-5-1, 12-2 BIG EAST) entered the day as one of only five schools with multiple players among the nation’s top-35 ERA leaders and their senior righthanders did not disappoint, as Heilman and Tamayo combined to allow just one earned run on 10 hits and two walks over the 16 innings, with all but six of their 48 outs coming via strikeouts (12), groundball outs (24), infield popups (4), pickoffs (1) and runners thrown out trying to advance (1). Nearly 70 percent of their 218 combined pitches went for strikes (147).
Sophomore rightfielder Brian Stavisky provided the Irish a pair of insurance runs in the fifth inning of the opener, driving his fourth home run of the season over the fence in deep right-center field, while junior third baseman Andrew Bushey had a hand in half of the Irish runs in the nightcap by batting 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored.
Heilman-who entered the day ranked sixth in the nation for both ERA and victories-continued to add to his legend by posting his 19th win in his last 20 decisions while pushing his career record to 37-7, three shy of the Irish career victories record (set by 1994 graduate Tom Price, 40-10). The three-time All-American and national player-of-the-year candidate became just the fifth Notre Dame pitcher-and just the second since 1924-to win his first nine decisions in a season while his five strikeouts give Heilman 168 for his career in BIG EAST regular-season games, besting the conference record previously held by Seton Hall ace and current Major Leaguer Jason Grilli (164, ’95-’97).
Heilman scattered one run, four hits, one walk and 11 groundouts and just three flyouts over the seven-inning opener while lowering his season ERA to 1.32, with 60 Ks, 17 walks and 40 hits allowed in 68 innings (he also owns an 0.90 ERA in four BIG EAST starts, with 25 Ks, 10 walks and 13 hits allowed in 30 innings).
Tamayo (5-1) was one out away from his third shutout of the season and fourth in his last 10 starts before the Mountaineers scored an unearned run in the ninth inning of the nightcap. He limited WVU to six hits and one walk while registering 24 of his 27 outs via strikeouts (7), groundballs (13, including one double play) and infield popups (4). Tamayo’s sliced his season ERA from 1.92 to 1.65, with 63 Ks, just 10 walks and 48 hits allowed in 65.1 innings pitched (he owns a 1.17 BIG EAST ERA, with 31 Ks, four walks and 26 hits allowed in 30.2 IP.
West Virginia (18-19, 5-9) manufactured a run versus Heilman in the fourth inning but the Irish rallied with two runs in the fifth before getting some breathing room on Stavisky’s home run.
Notre Dame pushed its winning streak to 10 games-the program’s longest win streak since an 11-game run early in the 1999 season-while becoming the quickest Irish team ever to reach the 30-win plateau (four previous ND teams started 30-9). The Irish also have tied the team record for consecutive BIG EAST wins in a season (10), matching the run by the 1998 team.
NOTES: ND’s cushion in the BIG EAST loss column remains three games vs. St. John’s (12-5), followed by Connecticut and Rutgers (both 11-6), Seton Hall (10-6-1) and Virginia Tech (9-7-1) … since blowing a pair of late-inning leads at Virginia Tech on March 25, ND has won 15 of its last 16 games overall (10-0 BIG EAST) while the Hokies have gone 3-6-1 in their last 10 league games … Heilman joins Frank “Dreams” Scanlan (10-0 in 1908) Bill Ryan (9-0 in 1910, lost next game), Hugh Mageveney (9-0 in 1924) and Tim Kraus (9-0 in 1994) as the only ND pitchers ever to start a season 9-0 (Heilman tied Scanlan’s record for single-season winning streak in 2000, winning 10 straight after losing on the first weekend) … ND has won 15 of its last 16 BIG EAST series … Heilman’s career stats vs. WVU: 5-1, SV, 1.39, 39 IP, 42 Ks, 9 BB, 22 H) … ND entered the week ranked second in the nation for team ERA at 2.47 (now 2.61).
WEST VIRGINIA 0-0-0 1-0-0 0 – 1 4 1
#4 NOTRE DAME 0-0-0 0-2-2 X – 4 5 2
Vance McCracken (L, 2-5) and Josh Cisneros.
Aaron Heilman (W, 9-0) and Paul O’Toole.
Home Run: Brian Stavisky, ND (1 on in 6th, 4th of season).
Double: Tim McCabe (WVU).
WEST VIRGINIA (18-19, 5-9 BIG EAST) 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-1 – 1 6 2
#4 NOTRE DAME (31-5-1, 12-2 BIG EAST) 2-0-1 3-0-2 0-0-X – 8 12 1
Brian Tarajack (L, 3-1), Marty Fagler (6) and Josh Cisneros.
Danny Tamayo (W, 5-1) and Paul O’Toole, Soran Leahy (9).
Triple: Matt Bok (ND).
Doubles: Paul O’Toole (ND), Matt Bo (ND), Mike Frownfelter (WVU), Josh Cisneros (WVU).