DURHAM, N.C. – Notre Dame scored nine two-out runs en route to a 10-4 win at Duke in the ACC opener for the Irish.
Jack Radel forced the Blue Devils into stranding a pair of runners in scoring position with his third strikeout of the inning in the bottom half of the first. The junior righty was efficient in the second inning by retiring the side in order on just six pitches with a ground out, a fly out and a three-pitch strikeout looking.
The Irish got on the scoreboard in the top of the third. Drew Berkland drilled a one-out double to the right-center gap, and Noah Coy used a single to the outfield to drive in Berkland for the 1-0 lead. Radel, meanwhile, induced a come-back grounder and made the flip over to first in more than enough time to force Duke into stranding a runner in the bottom half of the inning.
Radel tacked on two more Ks in the bottom of the fourth and needed just 11 pitches to retire the Blue Devils in order.
Drew Berkland doubled the Irish lead with a solo blast in the top of the fifth. Noah Coy drew a walk, and Mark Quatrani made his 100th career hit a memorable one with a two-run home run for a 4-0 Irish advantage. Bino Watters made it three homers in the inning with a solo shot in the next at-bat of the inning for a 5-0 Notre Dame lead. Jayce Lee and Parker Brzustewicz both added singles, and Davis Johnson was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A seeing-eye single by Mason Barth drove in Lee, and the Irish pushed the lead to 6-0.
Another three-up, three-down inning by Jack Radel kept the Duke offense at bay through five complete. The Blue Devils used a single to get a runner on base in the bottom of the sixth, but Radel and the Irish defense held strong as Notre Dame held the 6-0 lead through six complete.
The Blue Devils got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh, but Jack Radel notched his ninth strikeout of the game before inducing a comeback grounder with a flip over to first to end the inning.
The Irish responded in the top of the eighth. Drew Berkland laced a one-out double, and Mark Quatrani delivered a two-out single through the right side to make it a 7-1 score. Bino Watters then drilled a double off the center field fence to plate Quatrani as the Irish went up 8-1. Jayce Lee punched a single up the middle to drive in Watters for a 9-1 Notre Dame lead.
Noah Coy made a great play at shortstop, and Parker Brzustewicz held on for the out at first before Mark Quatrani cut down a runner trying to steal as the Irish retired the Blue Devils quickly in the eighth.
Jamie Zee hit a line-drive homer with two outs in the top of the ninth as the Irish hit double-digit scoring for the fifth game in-a-row and held a 10-1 lead.
Duke plated three runs in the top of the ninth, but a stellar play by Jamie Zee at third ended the game by the 10-4 final score.
Drew Berkland went 3-for-4 with a home run and two doubles with three runs. Bino Watters was 3-for-5 at the dish with a home run, two doubles, two RBI and two runs. Mark Quatrani went 2-for-5 with a homer, three RBI and two runs. Jamie Zee added a home run, and Jayce Lee posted a pair of hits with an RBI and a run. Noah Coy added a hit, an RBI and a run while Parker Brzustewicz and Mason Barth each notched a hit.
Jack Radel posted another quality start and earned the win after going 7.0 and striking out nine, scattering four hits and allowing just one run. Eli Thurmond went 1.0 on the bump and allowed just one hit. Garrett Snyder closed out the final 1.0 on the hill for the Irish in the win.
Notre Dame (8-3) face Duke for the second game of the three-game series on Saturday starting at 1:00 p.m. ET.