Box Score (PDF)
STANFORD, Calif. – Carson Tinney drilled two home runs and Rory Fox was dominant on the mound as the Notre Dame baseball team took an 11-0 win in seven innings at Stanford to clinch the ACC series against the Cardinal on Saturday afternoon.
Carson Tinney hit a one-out double in the top of the first inning for the Irish. Parker Brzustewicz drew a four-pitch, two-out walk to put runners on the corners, and Connor Hincks laced a first-pitch single to center field to drive in Tinney with the first run of the game. Rory Fox then retired the side in order in the bottom of the first to make quick work of Stanford early.
Jayce Lee led off the second with a single to center field, and Nick DeMarco drew a full-count walk to put a pair aboard. Brady Gumpf used a sacrifice bunt to advance Lee and DeMarco, and a hard ground out ball hit by Jared Zimbardo drove in Lee for a 2-0 Irish lead. The Cardinal got a runner on in the bottom half of the inning before a strikeout by Fox stranded the Stanford runner at third.
Davis Johnson laced a lead-off single in the third, and Connor Hincks used a ground-rule double to right field to drive in Johnson for the third run of the game for the Irish. Fox continued to deal and retired the side in order with a ground out and back-to-back strikeouts.
The Cardinal put their lead-off man on base in the bottom of the fourth with a single. Rory Fox induced a foul pop up to Parker Brzustewicz and dialed up a big strikeout to record a pair of kick outs. Carson Tinney then cut down the runner trying to steal second – his fourth caught stealing effort of the weekend – to close out the scoring threat.
Carson Tinney crushed a lead-off solo home run in the top of the fifth 415 feet over the left-center wall as the Irish offense kept steady. Fox and the defense again shut down a Stanford scoring chance by retiring back-to-back batters with a runner on base to maintain a 4-0 lead heading into the sixth.
Notre Dame capitalized on a pair of errors early in the sixth inning to add to the lead. Jayce Lee reached second base safely on an error to begin the inning, and a sacrifice bunt turned error on a ball put in play by Nick DeMarco allowed Lee to come around to score. Brady Gumpf reached on a fielder’s choice before walks by Jared Zimbardo and Carson Tinney loaded the bases. A sacrifice fly from Davis Johnson drove in Gumpf to make it a 6-0 lead for the Irish. Parker Brzustewicz drew a walk to keep things going, and Connor Hincks powered a single to right field, which allowed Zimbardo and Tinney to come in to score for the 8-0 lead.
Rory Fox again had a three-up, three-down effort in the bottom of the sixth as the junior right-hander scattered three hits in a quality start for the Irish.
Nick DeMarco drew a one-out walk, and Jared Zimbardo bounced a two-out single to shortstop. Carson Tinney had his second no-doubt-about-it home run as the Irish pushed the lead to 11-0 going into the bottom of the seventh.
Rory Fox closed out the seven-inning complete game shutout effort on the hill for the Irish. The junior right-handed pitcher induced a trio of fly ball outs after the lead-off man for Stanford reached base to secure the 11-0 win for the Irish in seven innings.
Fox earned the win by scattering four total hits and striking out six with no walks, no extra-base hits, and no runs in his longest outing of his career – seven complete. The junior needed just 96 pitches to pick up the victory on the mound for the Irish.
Carson Tinney went 3-for-4 with two home runs, a double, four RBI, four runs, and a walk. Connor Hincks added a 3-for-4 effort with a double, a walk, and four RBI. Jared Zimbardo had a hit, drove in a run, and scored twice. Davis Johnson added a hit, an RBI, and a run. Jayce Lee collected a hit and scored twice. Nick DeMarco and Brady Gumpf each scored a run in the win.
The Irish (19-17, 6-14 ACC) look to sweep the series at Stanford on Sunday in the final game of the weekend. The series finale begins at 1:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT.