MIAMI, Fla. – Notre Dame (5-2) battled back for a series split at FIU (5-3) with a 3-1 win Sunday, as RHP Jack Radel (1-0) earned his first-career win, and RHP Bennett Flynn notched his first save in an Irish uniform.
RHP Tobey McDonough made his first start in an Irish uniform and went 2.0 innings with three strikeouts, as Radel entered to pitch the third, going three full innings and posting two strikeouts. RHP Ricky Reeth entered to pitch 2.2 innings, posting six strikeouts. Flynn came in with two outs in the eighth and earned the save, holding FIU off in the ninth.
OF David Glancy notched his fourth home run of the season in the fourth inning. INF Casey Kmet made his first appearance of the season, entering in the seventh inning as a pinch runner.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both teams went scoreless through two innings, as McDonough posted three strikeouts through two innings. Notre Dame went down in order in the third, and Radel did the same to FIU, entering to begin the inning and forcing two flyouts, earning a strikeout.
In the fourth, DH DM Jefferson led off with a walk and stole second, taking third on an FIU error. OF David Glancy drew a walk, and also stole second. OF Tito Flores singled to score both runners, but was tagged out in his attempt to take second. In the bottom half, Radel and the Irish took care of two outs before an FIU triple, but got out of the inning on the next batter, holding FIU scoreless at 2-0.
Both teams were kept off the board in the fifth, as Radel added another strikeout, and INFs Estevan Moreno, Jack Penney and Connor Hincks combined for a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.
In the sixth, the Irish placed a runner on second but couldn’t convert. Reeth entered to begin the bottom of the sixth, and after a walk, struck out the next three batters. Both teams went scoreless in the seventh, with Reeth adding two strikeouts.
Glancy sent a solo home run, his fourth homer of the season, to left field in the eighth inning to add a run for the Irish, and after two outs in the bottom of the inning, Flynn took the mound to close the eighth.
The Irish were unable to score in the ninth, and FIU led off with a solo homer to get on the board. Two singles placed two on base before the first out. A walk loaded the bases, but Flynn and the Irish took care of the next two outs, holding FIU to one run and securing the win.
UP NEXT
The Irish are back on the road next weekend, traveling to Tennessee Tech for a three-game series (March 1-3).