JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Notre Dame baseball team battled until the end in a 9-4 loss to No. 2 ranked LSU on day two of the Live Like Lou Jax Baseball Classic on Saturday.
Caden Crowell struck out three of the first seven batters he faced against the No. 2 ranked Tigers. LSU used a pair of two-out hits, however, to take a 2-0 lead. Crowell then used a strikeout looking to close out the second stanza.
The Tigers added three runs in the bottom of the third inning to make it 5-0.
Mark Quatrani had a one-out single up the middle, but a pair of hard-hit ground balls were unable to find a gap as the Irish left a man on base in the top of the fourth. LSU plated a pair of runs in the bottom half of the fourth for a 7-0 lead.
Noah Coy led off the top of the fifth with a single, and Chase Van Ameyde worked the count to draw a walk to put a pair on base for the Irish. With two outs gone, Drew Berkland punched a single through the left side to drive in Coy to put the Irish on the scoreboard.
Bino Watters read the ball perfectly and made a catch at the fence in left field for the first out of the bottom of the fifth. Kellan Klosterman dialed up a strikeout, and Klosterman induced a foul pop up to Mark Quatrani to retire the Tigers side in order.
Quatrani led off the top of the sixth with an infield single. Two batters later, Jayce Lee drove the third pitch of his at-bat clear of the left-center fence for a two-run home run. The Tigers, however, countered with a pair of runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning to push the score to 9-3.
Jamie Zee laced a lead-off single in the top of the seventh. Drew Berkland drew a four-pitch walk to put a pair on board for the Irish. Mark Quatrani then earned a one-out walk to load the bases. Parker Brzustewicz added another walk to drive in Zee, but the rally ended there in the seventh. The late-inning comeback was unable to materialize down the stretch as Notre Dame fell by a 9-4 final score against the No. 2 Tigers.
Mark Quatrani and Noah Coy both went 2-for-4 at the plate and scored a run for the Irish. Jayce Lee belted a two-run home run. Drew Berkland added a hit and an RBI while Bino Watters, Chase Van Ameyde and Jamie Zee each notched a hit on the day.
Caden Crowell went 2.1 innings and struck out four while suffering the decision on the mound. Garrett Snyder went 1-2 with a pair of strikeouts, and Kellan Klosterman added 2.0 on the bump with a pair of Ks. Aiden Zerr closed out the final 2.0 and allowed just one hit while facing seven total batters.
The Irish (2-3) now shift their focus to their Sunday matchup against Indiana on day three of the Live Like Lou Jax Classic at VyStar Ballpark in Jacksonville, Florida. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. ET.