May 5, 2018
By Megan Golden
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — On Senior Day at Frank Eck Stadium, the University of Notre Dame baseball team clawed its way to a 7-5 win over Pittsburgh. Senior Alex Kerschner hit his first career homer and Niko Kavadas went 4-for-4 in Notre Dame’s fifth series win of the season on Saturday afternoon.
For the second day in a row, Notre Dame (23-24, 12-14) came from behind against Pittsburgh (25-19, 10-13) to secure its fourth series win in Atlantic Coast Conference play.
How It Happened
Irish starter Cameron Brown worked three scoreless innings before Pittsburgh drew a bases loaded walk and then connected for a grand slam, all with two outs in the fourth inning.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Eric Gilgenbach sent a fly ball to right that dropped in the middle of three fielders, allowing him to record his ninth double of the season. With nobody out, Daniel Jung doubled off the wall in right to score Gilgenbach and put the Irish on the board.
Notre Dame added three runs in the bottom of the sixth, when Matt Vierling singled to left, and Niko Kavadas followed with an infield single to the pitcher. The pitcher threw the ball away, allowing Vierling to score and cut the deficit to 5-2. In the next at-bat, Alex Kerschner connected for his first career homer to center, making the score 5-4.
The Irish carried their offensive momentum into the seventh, when Cole Daily singled through the left side, and Jake Johnson executed a bunt single to the pitcher. With one out, Vierling and Kavadas recorded back-to-back singles to tie the game and then take a 6-5 lead. Kerschner drove in his third RBI to give Notre Dame an insurance run and ultimately secure a 7-5 victory.
Player of the Game
Freshman Niko Kavadas went 4-for-4 with one run scored and two RBI, setting a new career high with four hits.
Kavadas is in control of a six-game hitting streak, hitting .600 (12-20) with three homers, seven runs, nine RBI and four walks over that span.
Notes
- The series win marks Notre Dame’s fifth of the season and fourth in ACC play.
- Notre Dame owns a 45-21 lead in the all-time series against the Panthers.
- The Irish own a 13-8 record at home in 2018.
- Notre Dame has won eight of its last nine games.
- Cameron Brown worked 4.0 innings, allowing five runs on five hits with four walks.
- Cameron Junker worked 3.0 scoreless innings and earned his first collegiate win.
- Andrew Belcik worked 0.1 inning and earned his third save of the season.
- Jake Johnson owns a 20-game on-base streak during which he is batting .329 (24-73) with 14 walks, 12 runs scored and seven RBI.
- Niko Kavadas is in control of a six-game hitting streak, hitting .600 (12-20) with three homers, seven runs, eight RBI and four walks over that span.
Up Next
Notre Dame wraps its 11-game homestand on Sunday, when it returns to the Eck for a 1:05 p.m. ET series finale versus Pittsburgh. The game will be streamed on ACC Network Extra and on 103.1 FM (South Bend)/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.