March 26, 2008
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame sophomore A.J. Pollock went 4-for-5 with five runs scored and freshman Ryan Sharpley tossed 5.0 shutout innings to lead the Irish to a 14-3 rout of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Wednesday night in college baseball action from Frank Eck Stadium. Notre Dame extended its winning streak to a season-best five games and improved to 12-7-1 overall, while the Panthers dropped to 3-15.
Sharpley (Marshall, Mich.) allowed just one hit over his 5.0 innings of work en route to his first career victory. The rookie right-hander (1-1) struckout three and walked three. Sharpley, the younger brother of first baseman Evan, lowered his season earned-run average from 5.40 to 2.70.
Pollock (Hebron, Conn.) registered the second four-hit game for the Irish this season (Greg Sherry was the other). Pollock had three singles, a triple, stolen base and RBI, as well as five runs scored. He also made a pair of spectacular diving catches in right field.
Notre Dame played 23 different position players on the night, while junior Sam Elam (Mesquite, Texas), freshman Matt Katich (New Castle, Pa.), sophomore Herman Petzold (Saint Clair Shores, Mich.), freshman Andrew Wiand (South Bend, Ind.) and senior Bill Warrender (Collegeville, Pa.) all made their season debuts. In fact, Katich, Wiand and Warrender made their first career appearance in an Irish uniform. Petzold laced a double in his only at bat and eventually came around to score.
Junior Casey Martin (Chesterton, Ind.) came off the bench and went 2-for-2 with an RBI and run scored. Freshman Cameron McConnell (Bannockburn, Ill.) and junior Jeremy Barnes (Garland, Texas) each went 2-for-3. Barnes drove in two and scored a run, while McConnell added a run scored and RBI single. Senior Brett Lilley (North Canton, Ohio) went hitless in two at bats, but walked, reached base on a hit by pitch and scored three runs.
Milwaukee starter Jordan Herbert (0-3) did not survive the first inning. The right-handed hurler did not allow a hit in 0.2 innings, but allowed three earned runs due in part to three walks and a hit batter.
Notre Dame grabbed a 3-0 first inning with the benefit of just an infield hit. Lilley, Pollock and Barnes all drew walks which loaded the bases with two outs. Senior Ross Brezovsky (Naples, Fla.) picked up an RBI after he was hit by a pitch and sophomore Billy Boockford (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) followed with an RBI walk before McConnell legged out an infield single to round out the scoring.
The Irish pushed their lead to 5-0 with two more runs in the bottom of the second inning off Hoy. Pollock dropped down a perfect bunt single to put runners on first and second (Lilley reached on a hit by pitch) with one out. After junior Evan Sharpley (Marshall, Mich.) drew a walk to load the bases, Barnes followed with a two-run single right back up the middle, but was tagged out trying to advance to second when the throw home was cut off.
Notre Dame blew the game wide open with six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning before adding solo tallies in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively.
Notre Dame returns to action this weekend with its BIG EAST series opener against Cincinnati. The scheduled for the weekend is as follows: Friday (5:05 p.m.), Saturday (1:05 p.m.) and Sunday (1:05 p.m.) All three games game can heard live on ESPN Radio 1490 AM and UND.com.
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