April 20, 2012
BETHESDA, Md. – Sophomore 3B Eric Jagielo (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) drilled a three-run home run, his second of the day, to break open a 2-2 tie in the top of the ninth inning as Notre Dame knocked off Georgetown, 5-2, in the first game of a doubleheader Friday at Shirley Povich Field. Notre Dame improved to 20-16 overall and 7-6 in the BIG EAST, while the Hoyas dropped to 18-19 and 5-8.
Jagielo provided all of Notre Dame’s offense. He went 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBI. Jagielo added a two-run round tripper in the top of the third inning. He is the second Irish player with a multi-home run game in 2012. Junior C Joe Hudson (Odessa, Fla./Tampa Jesuit) had a pair in the season opener against Illinois. The five RBI are tied for the most by an Irish player this season. Junior 2B Frank DeSico (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Ignatius) had five against IPFW.
Sophomore RHP Sean Fitzgerald (McLean, Va./McLean) picked up the victory and improved to 4-3 on the season. He retired 10 of the 11 batters he faced. The only Georgetown player to reach base over his 3.1 scoreless innings of work, did so on a one-out error in the bottom of the ninth.
Charles Steinman was charged with the loss and dropped to 2-4 on the year. He was roughed up for three runs, all earned, on four hits in 0.1 innings of work. Steinman surrendered the three-run home run to Jagielo.
In addition to Jagielo, freshman DH Ryan Bull (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie) and sophomore 1B Trey Mancini (Winter Haven, Fla./Winter Haven) also chipped in with three-hit games. Bull went 2-for-5 with a run scored, while Mancini went 3-or-5 with a double.
Notre Dame collected 14 hits on the afternoon and overcame 10 stranded base runners, including nine in scoring position. In fact, the Irish left seven in scoring position over the first five innings of the game.
Neither starting pitcher factored in the decision, but both pitched well.
Senior RHP Will Hudgins (Richmond, Va./Douglass Freeman) allowed a couple of runs on six hits. He struck out seven and walked only one. Hudgins has now fanned 67 on the year.
Will Harris, who seemed on the verge of major trouble all afternoon, got through eight innings. He yielded 10 hits, but only allowed two runs. Harris struck out four and walked two.
Notre Dame should have grabbed a much larger lead in the first two innings. Bull, Jagielo and Mancini ripped three consecutive singles to load the bases with one out, but Harris got Hudson to ground into a inning-ending double play.
The Irish had another quality scoring chance in the top of the second, but once again were unable to get anything off Harris. After senior RF Alex Robinson (Dallas, Texas/First Baptist Academy) singled and junior CF Charlie Markson (Whitefish Bay, Wisc./Whitefish Bay) drew a walk, freshman LF Mac Hudgins (Richmond, Va./Douglass Freeman) executed a sacrifice bunt to move both into scoring position, but freshman SS Jason McMurray (West Des Moines, Iowa/Dowling Catholic) struck out looking and DeSico grounded out to end the inning.
Same story in the third, a line drive single to open the inning from Bull, but the Irish finally took advantage. Jagielo hammered the first offering of his at bat deep over the right centerfield wall to give Notre Dame a 2-0 lead.
Despite stranding six base runners, all of them in scoring position, over the first four frames, Will Hudgins kept the Hoyas off the scoreboard until the bottom of the fourth.
After Will Hudgins retired the first two Georgetown batters of the inning, Kevin Johnson legged out an infield single and Danny Poplawski followed with a single. Will Hudgins then plunked Paul Bello on a 0-2 pitch to load the bases for Trevor Matern, who pulled a two-run single through the left side to tie the game, 2-2.
The Irish, once again, got the leadoff batter on the base in the fourth ¬- fourth straight inning. In fact, Notre Dame got the first two men on base, but Harris danced out of trouble again as the Irish stranded two more.
Georgetown threatened in the bottom of the sixth inning. With two on and two out, Fitzgerald came into the game for Will Hudgins and got an inning-ending fielder’s choice ground out.
Fitzgerald cruised the rest of the way to set the stage for Jagielo.