SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Notre Dame baseball team took a 5-3 win over visiting Central Michigan on Tuesday night at Frank Eck Stadium.
Central Michigan pushed a pair of runs across in the top of the first. The Irish got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the opening frame. Drew Berkland reached on an error and moved into scoring position on a ground out. Berkland advanced 90 feet on an errant throw on a pick-off attempt, and Dylan Passo drove in Berkland with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-1.
Ty Uber retired the side in order in the top of the second and capped off the inning with back-to-back strikeouts. Uber continued his solid outing by retiring the side in order in both the third and fourth innings on the hill as the righty amassed five strikeouts on the night.
Chase Van Ameyde got the runner leaning the other way as the Irish closed out a scoreless fifth inning. The Irish then took the lead in the bottom half of the inning. Andrew Graham led off the inning with a single. Two batters later, Drew Berkland laced a single through the left side. Bino Watters drilled a two-strike double to left-center field as Graham came around to score. Mark Quatrani used a sacrifice fly to drive in Berkland from third as the Irish took a 3-2 lead.
Eli Thurmond retired the Chippewas in order in the top of the sixth. Jayce Lee led off the bottom half of the inning with a single up the middle, and Parker Brzustewicz drove in Lee with a double down the left field line for a 4-2 Irish advantage. Mason Barth drew a walk, and Andrew Graham moved the pair up with a sacrifice fly. Brzustewicz then scored on a sacrifice fly by Jamie Zee to put the Irish ahead 5-2.
The Chippewas scored an unearned run in the top of the seventh, but Eli Thurmond posted back-to-back strikeouts to force Central Michigan into stranding runners on first and second. Radek Birkholz continued to keep the Central Michigan bats at bay with a strikeout to end the top of the eighth.
Oisin Lee came in for the ninth inning and closed out the game with the save to preserve the 5-3 win.
Parker Brzustewicz went 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run. Bino Watters was 2-for-4 at the dish with two doubles and an RBI. Drew Berkland had a hit and scored twice while Jayce Lee and Andrew Graham each tallied a hit and scored a run. Mark Quatrani, Dylan Passo and Jamie Zee each drove in a run in the win.
DJ Helwig earned his first start of the season for the Irish, and Ty Uber went 3.1 innings of work with five strikeouts and no hits allowed. Chase Van Ameyde went 1.0 with a strikeout while garnering the win. Eli Thurmond posted 2.0 innings of work with three strikeouts. Radek Birkholz had a shutout inning with a strikeout, and Oisin Lee held the Chippewas hitless in the ninth while earning the save.
The Irish (20-20) have a short turnaround as they host Milwaukee on Wednesday night starting at 6:30 p.m. ET at Frank Eck Stadium.