March 4, 2017
By Michael Scholl
CARY, North Carolina — The Notre Dame baseball team couldn’t get the bats going behind Peter Solomon and dropped an 8-0 decision to UMass Lowell on Saturday afternoon at the USA Baseball-Irish Classic.
Solomon held the River Hawks to one hit over the first six innings, but the one hurt as it was a two-run home run and the Irish trailed 3-0 when Solomon exited. He ended up being responsible for four earned while striking out eight.
Key Innings
Top First
The River Hawks struck first without recording a hit. Chris Sharpe led off the game with a walk, then stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. After another walk, Solomon got Steve Passatempo to pop out before Austin Young scored Sharpe on a sac fly to left giving UMass Lowell a 1-0 lead after one.
Top Third
UMass Lowell got its first hit off Solomon and made it count. Oscar Marchena walked to start the inning, then Passatempo sent one beyond the left field wall to make it 3-0.
Top Seventh
UML extended the lead in the seventh. Ben Prada started the inning with a single to left, then Sharpe singled up the middle. Cole Daily got to the ball, but the Irish shortstop didn’t have a play. Marchena laid down a sacrifice bunt to move up the runners, then Passatempo drilled a one-hopper just out of reach of the third baseman, Kyle Fiala, to score a pair and make it 5-0 River Hawks.
On Deck
The Irish play game two of the day this afternoon against Rhode Island. The game can be heard live on WatchND.
— ND —
Michael Scholl joined Fighting Irish Media in August 2016, coordinating communications for the baseball program and assisting with the football team at his alma mater. The South Bend native earned a degree in political science from the College of Arts & Letters in 2009 before going on to work in athletics communications at Providence College, Vanderbilt and Cincinnati.