March 2, 2018
By Megan Golden
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The University of Notre Dame baseball team used an outstanding effort from its pitching staff to record its first shutout of the season in an 8-0 win over Youngstown State on Friday night at Osceola County Stadium.
Notre Dame (5-3), competing in the first of three games as part of the Kissimmee Irish Classic, allowed just three hits to the Penguins (1-6), as Scott Tully and Anthony Holubecki combined to work eight scoreless innings.
How It Happened
Cole Daily led off the bottom of the first with a single up the middle. Nick Podkul then hit a fielder’s choice to third, and Daily advanced all the way to third base after a throwing error by the third baseman. With one out in the inning, Matt Vierling connected for a base hit to left field, scoring Daily and helping the Irish score first for the fourth time this season.
Scott Tully retired the first six batters he faced before yielding a single and hitting a batter in the third with nobody out. But that was the closest Youngstown State was to touching the southpaw, who collected six strikeouts in five innings for the Irish.
With one out in the third inning, Daily tripled down the right field line, easily making his way to third base. In the next at-bat, Jake Johnson extended his on-base streak to 15 games with a single that scored Daily and gave the Irish a 2-0 lead. Podkul followed with a double to left field, and Vierling dropped a single in right field that scored both base runners and made it a 4-0 Notre Dame lead.
Eric Gilgenbach, Daniel Jung and David LaManna connected for back-to-back-to-back singles to load the bases with no outs in the fourth inning. Daily knocked his third hit of the night into left field, and Jung scored on a passed ball during the next at-bat. Podkul crushed a triple to right center, over the head of Blaze Glenn, that drove in LaManna and Daily and extended the Irish lead to 8-0.
Anthony Holubecki relieved Tully in the sixth inning and worked three scoreless innings, leading a bullpen that worked four innings to complete the 8-0 shutout of Youngstown State.
Player of the Game
Cole Daily finished the day 4-for-5 with a double and a triple. Daily has hit safely in six straight games, batting .370 (10-27) over that span.
In eight games this season, the shortstop has hit .400 (14-35). Daily leads the Irish with seven stolen bases (7-7) on the year.
Stat of the Game
Notre Dame pitchers combined to throw the team’s first shutout of the season, allowing just three hits and striking out 11 batters.
The shutout was Notre Dame’s first team shutout since April 26, 2017 versus Eastern Michigan, when the Irish won 5-0.
Game Notes
- The Irish move to 2-0 against Youngstown State in the all-time series history.
- Notre Dame junior Nick Podkul is in control of a 14-game hitting streak, dating back to 2017. Podkul has hit .436 (24-55) with seven doubles, two triples and 13 RBI during that span.
- Senior Jake Johnson owns a 15-game on-base streak, dating back to last season.
- Junior Cole Daily has hit safely in six straight games, batting .370 (10-27) over that span.
- Graduate student Scott Tully worked 5.0 scoreless innings and finished just one strikeout shy of his career high (6).
- Anthony Holubecki made his season debut and worked three scoreless innings.
- Eric Feliz made his first appearance of the season as a pinch-hitter.
Coming Up Next
Notre Dame squares off against Seton Hall at 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at Osceola Heritage Stadium. The game will be streamed on WatchND.
For a behind-the-scenes look at the Irish baseball program, follow @NDBaseball on Twitter and @NotreDameBaseball on Instagram. For tickets to an Irish baseball game, click here.
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Megan Golden, athletics communications assistant director at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since August of 2016. In her role, she coordinates all media efforts for the Notre Dame baseball and women’s soccer programs. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Golden is a 2014 graduate of Saint Mary’s College and former Irish women’s basketball manager. Prior to arriving at Notre Dame, she worked in public relations with the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox.