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OMAHA, Neb. – The Fighting Irish turned in a complete performance on Friday night to win their opening game in the College World Series with a 7-3 win over No. 9 Texas at Charles Schwab Field. The Irish will play Oklahoma at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 19 on ESPN2.
It was fun for you and the fans and the country that watched to watch our team because I feel like when we’re playing well, that’s what we do,” said head coach Link Jarrett. “And I’m very proud of them to come into this atmosphere and perform for the first time that well-rounded of a game against clearly a phenomenal program/team, talented. I couldn’t be happier with the guys.”
Jared Miller and Carter Putz bookended the game with home runs, as Miller went yard in the top of the first and Putz put an exclamation mark on the game with a blast in the ninth.
We know when we go out and we play good baseball that we can play with anyone in the country,” said Jared Miller. “You know you’re going against very good teams every time you step out there. We know we need to play our kind of game and be confident about that.”
David LaManna, Jack Brannigan and Zack Prajzner joined Miller in picking up multiple base hits while Spencer Myers and Putz each drove in two runs in the victory.
The Irish pitching staff was magnificent against a loaded Longhorns offense, which didn’t record an extra-base hit for the first time all season.
John Michael Bertrand set the tone with a 5.1 innings performance, limiting Texas to three earned runs on six hits, including four strikeouts, on 96 pitches. The senior improved to 10-3 on the year and became the first Irish pitcher to achieve double-digit wins since Adam Norton (10-5) in 2013.
“It doesn’t really matter to us if we’re underdogs or projected to win,” said John Michael Bertrand. “The message is to go 1-0. By any means go 1-0. I’m not sure if that really matters to us. It’s more how we play and just being ready to play some baseball.”
Alex Rao and Jack Findlay combined for 3.2 innings in relief, not allowing a hit and striking out four.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Jared Miller shot some early excitement into the Irish fanbase via an opposite-field home run into the right field bullpen in the top of the first. Miller’s fifth home run of the season was launched 356 feet, into the wind, to give the Irish the 1-0 lead.
In the top of the third, the Irish struck again. Cole led off and reached first via a hit-by-pitch then immediately stole second. It was the first successful stolen base against Texas pitcher Pete Hansen this season. Next, Miller singled through the left side to make it runners on first and third with no outs.
Putz delivered his team-best 47th RBI on the season after lacing a ball to the third baseman who got the force out at second, as the Irish pushed their lead to 2-0.
Facing a first and third situation with no outs, Bertrand recorded a huge strikeout against the Texas leadoff hitter Douglas Hodo III. The next Longhorns batter, Eric Kennedy, put down a bunt as Bertrand executed an impressive throw down to second base to record the second out – a play which ultimately saved a run as the next Texas batter, Ivan Melendez, singled to left-center. Bertrand then struck out Stehly to preserve the lead at 2-1.
The Notre Dame offense once again found itself in a favorable position with first and third and one out in the top of the fourth. Myers laid a bunt down the first base side as Texas pitcher Pete Hansen went home with the throw; however, Brannigan beat the catcher’s tag by inches for the 3-1 lead. The Irish later had the bases juiced with two outs as Putz roped a drive but it was right at the second baseman for the final out.
Bertrand responded with a shutdown inning in the bottom of the fourth, retiring the side on seven pitches.
With a 3-2 count and one out in the top of the fifth and runners on first and second, Irish Head Coach Link Jarrett called a perfect hit-and-run, as Prajzner singled up the middle, scoring LaManna for the 4-1 advantage. The single also ended Hansen’s night on the mound.
Texas relief pitcher Stevens came in and recorded a balk before his first pitch, as Notre Dame extended the lead to 5-1. Up next, Myers drove in his second run of the night, connecting on a liner to right field, making it 6-1.
The Longhorns did plate a run in both the bottom of the fifth and sixth to cut the Irish lead to 6-3.
Jack Brannigan flashed some leather in the seventh, snaring back-to-back darts on the hot corner. Findlay then entered the game with a runner on first, and Melendez waiting on deck, and recorded a big strikeout to end the inning
After a scoreless eighth the Irish tacked on an insurance run off a 394-foot blast to right-center field to give Notre Dame a 7-3 lead.
Findlay then slammed the door in the bottom of the ninth, retiring the side in order to give Notre Dame the 7-3 victory.
NOTRE DAME NOTES
- Notre Dame now leads the all-time series vs Texas, 4-3
- Notre Dame improves to 53-21 under Coach Jarrett in games away from Frank Eck Stadium, with a 12-3 mark in neutral site games
- Irish improve to 7-3 against top-10 ranked teams this season, as Texas was ranked No. 9 heading into tonight
- 14-0 when leading after the first inning this season
- 17-1 when scoring in the first inning
- 34-4 when scoring first
- In 12.2 innings in the NCAA Tournament, relief pitcher Jack Findlay has only given up one earned run. Findlay pitched 2.1 innings tonight and notched two strikeouts, allowing no hits. He earned his fourth save of the season/postseason
- Miller homered in his first at-bat in the Knoxville Super Regional and homered in his first at-bat again against Texas in the College World Series. Miller’s homer was his fifth on the season
- For the 29th time this season the Irish held its opponent to three runs or less. They are 29-0 this season in those instances and 55-2 overall under Jarrett.
- John Michael Bertrand becomes the first Irish pitcher (10-3) to achieve double-digit wins in a season since Adam Norton (10-5) in 2013
- Putz connected on his 8th home run on the year with a solo blast in the ninth. He also recorded two RBI’s on the night, which brings his total to a team best 48
- Tonight marked the program’s third CWS appearance and the first since 2002
UP NEXT
With the win, Notre Dame will face Oklahoma in the winner’s bracket at 7:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 19 on ESPN2 for a chance to move one win away from the championship series.
— ND —