March 13, 2011
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CONWAY, S.C. – Senior RHP Todd Miller threw 8.0 shutout innings, freshman LF Eric Jagielo broke open a scoreless game with a two-run home run in the ninth inning and Notre Dame blanked Kent State, 2-0, in final day action from the 2011 Caravelle Resort Classic. The Irish, which took two of three at the tournament, improved to 6-7 on the year, while the Flashes dropped to 7-6. Kent State had captured each of its first two games, including a 2-0 victory over the host No. 24 Coastal Carolina on Friday night.
Jagielo, who was hitless over his first nine official at bats in the tournament, crushed a 1-1 offering from Golden Flashes reliever Kyle McMillen deep over the right field wall to give Notre Dame a 2-0 lead in the top of the ninth inning.
Sophomore RHP Adam Norton tossed a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth to register his first save of the season and give the Irish their second shutout in as many days. Notre Dame blanked UAB, 3-0, in its first game of the weekend.
Miller improved to 2-1 on the year with the best outing of his career. The right-handed hurler scattered seven hits over his career-long 8.0 innings of work. Miller struck out one and walked one.
McMillen took the loss and dropped to 0-2 on the season.
Kent State LHP David Starn did not render in the decision, but was almost untouchable for the second straight outing. The southpaw limited Louisville to just three hits and no earned runs over 8.0 innings in his last start. Starn fanned seven and walked one. He even retired the last 13 Cardinals of the game.
Starn was even better on Sunday against the Irish.
Starn tossed 8.0 shutout innings with a career-best 10 strikeouts and carried a perfect game into the sixth inning and a no hitter into the eighth. He ultimately retired 28 consecutive batters over his two outings against Louisville and Notre Dame. Starn also tossed 12.0 innings of no hit baseball, but only has a loss and no decision to show for it.
Miller danced around trouble most of the afternoon. He allowed one-out doubles in each of the first two innings, but kept the Golden Flashes off the scoreboard each time. Miller then surrendered back-to-back one out singles in the third inning, but got Kent State’s No. 3 and No. 4 hitters to fly out and ground out to end the threat.
Meanwhile, Starn absolutely baffled the Irish. The southpaw retired Notre Dame in order over each of the first four innings, including a pair of strikeouts in the third and fourth, respectively.
The Golden Flashes tagged Miller with a two-out double in the fourth inning, but the Irish starter induced a ground ball out to keep the game scoreless.
Starn continued his prowess of the Notre Dame lineup. He eventually carried a perfect game into the top of the sixth inning before fifth-year senior OF Herman Petzold coaxed a leadoff walk. Senior SS Mick Doyle followed with a sacrifice bunt to move Petzold into scoring position, but Markson and sophomore 2B Frank DeSico were unable to muster anything and the game remained tied, 0-0.
Miller plunked a Kent State batter in the fifth with one out, but evaded any damage. He ran into trouble again in the Golden Flashes sixth inning. Miller retired the leadoff batter, but David Lyon walked and T.J. Sutton singled to put runners on first and second with one out. He got an infield fly and Kent State pinch hitter Nick Hamilton grounded out to end the inning.
Starn was even more effective and had to work much less. After the leadoff walk in the fifth, he retired the next eight Irish hitters, including three punch-outs, before Petzold strided to the plate with two outs in the top of the eighth inning. Petzold, who had already broken up the perfect game, worked the count to 2-2 and laced a sharp single to center field to break-up the no hitter. Petzold quickly stole second base, but Doyle grounded out to end the threat.
Miller, after sending down Kent State in order for the first time in the game in the seventh inning, worked around a leadoff hit in the eighth.
With the game deadlocked, 0-0, in the top of the ninth inning and Starn out of the ballgame, Markson greeted McMillen with a single to left field, just the second hit of the day for the Irish. After DeSico failed to execute a sacrifice bunt, Jagielo followed with his second round tripper of the year.
Notre Dame continues its spring break with a battle against Texas-San Antonio at 6:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday, March 15, at Wolff Stadium. The game can be heard on WHME Harvest 103.1 FM and UND.com.
— ND —