EAST LANSING, Mich. – Notre Dame (23-20) held on to a 4-3 midweek victory at Michigan State (19-22) Tuesday evening, staving off a ninth-inning run by the Spartans after holding them scoreless through eight innings.
RHP Will Jacobsen (2-0) earned the win for his two three-up, three-down innings. RHP DJ Helwig started on the mound, going three full innings and allowing just one hit with no runs. On the day, Irish pitchers and defense forced five innings in which Michigan State batters went three up, three down.
C Joey Spence scored what would prove to be the deciding run on a leadoff homer in the third inning. The Irish manufactured three more runs on a groundout, a sac fly and a double steal. Notre Dame took advantage of Spartan gifted bases, as in seven-consecutive innings Tuesday, Michigan State allowed the leadoff Irish batter to take base, with two extra-base hits, three walks and two HBPs as Notre Dame’s leadoff rewards to start those innings.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The matchup got off to a slow start, with both teams going scoreless and hitless in the first. The Spartans went three up, three down.
In the second, the Irish drew a leadoff walk, but were unable to score. After a groundout to INF Jack Penney, INF Simon Baumgardt made a diving play on a hard-hit ball for the second out. Michigan State added a single, and then a walk and HBP loaded the bases. Helwig got out of the jam, forcing a grounder to Penney to hold the Spartans off the board.
Spence led off the third inning with his solo home run to put the Irish on top. OF David Glancy and Penney drew walks, but were both left on base. Helwig earned two strikeouts in the bottom of the third, sitting the Spartans down in order.
Baumgardt took a leadoff HBP in the fourth, but was left on base as the next three Irish batters were retired. RHP Caden Spivey entered to pitch at the beginning of the fourth, and after a leadoff walk, Spence and INF Estevan Moreno caught the runner stealing. Two balls to INF Connor Hincks at first ended the inning.
OF TJ Williams led off the fifth with a walk, and Glancy took a HBP. Both runners were left on base at the end of the inning. Spivey and the Irish held the Spartans to a three-up, three-down in the bottom of the inning, including a strikeout for the sophomore pitcher.
Flores took a HBP to lead off the sixth, another leadoff free base for the Irish, and got to second on a DH Davis Johnson sac bunt. Spence walked, but two flyouts ended Notre Dame’s scoring chances in the inning. RHP Will Jacobsen entered for Spivey to pitch the sixth, and again, Michigan State sat down in order, this time with Jacobsen adding a strikeout.
In the seventh, Penney drew a leadoff walk, getting to second on a wild pitch and third on a throwing error. Moreno walked, and subsequently stole second. Hincks grounded out to bring Penney home, increasing the lead to 2-0. Baumgardt walked to put runners on first and third, and Flores hit a sac fly to score Moreno. DH Brady Gumpf entered to pinch-hit, and sent a single to right field to bring Baumgardt to third. Gumpf and Baumgardt executed a double steal to plate another run, and the Irish went to the bottom of the seventh up 4-0. Jacobsen and the Irish defense again sat Michigan State down in order.
Williams led off the eighth with a double, but was picked off at second. A strikeout and groundout ended the top half. RHP Tobey McDonough entered to pitch the bottom of the eighth, and struck out the first batter he faced. Michigan State notched a hit, but the runner was left on base to end the inning.
The Irish went three up, three down for the first time of the game in the ninth inning. RHP Nate Hardman took the mound for Notre Dame in the bottom of the inning. After a flyout, a single and a walk put two on base. A home run allowed Michigan State to pull within one run of the Irish, but Notre Dame forced a flyout and groundout to secure the win.
UP NEXT
The Irish return home for a three-game series against the Pitt Panthers, which opens Friday, May 3 at 6:30 p.m. on ACCNX.