April 9, 2013
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Michigan capitalized on all of its scoring opportunities and used a pair of quality pitching performances from James Bourque and Matt Ogden to upset the University of Notre Dame, 4-1, Tuesday night at Frank Eck Stadium. The 16th-ranked Fighting Irish dropped to 19-11 overall, while the Wolverines improved to 17-14.
Bourque picked up the victory and improved to 3-4 on the season. The right-handed hurler limited Notre Dame to one run on five hits in 5.1 innings of work. Bourque struck out four and walked one.
Ogden picked up his first save of the season with 3.2 scoreless innings of relief. He allowed just one hit and one walk, while collecting four strikeouts.
Freshman RHP David Hearne took the loss and dropped to 0-2 on the campaign. He was tagged with three runs, all earned, on three hits in 3.1 innings of work. He struck out four and did not issue a walk.
Freshman RF Zak Kutsulis was the lone Irish player with more than one hit. He went 2-for-3 with a double and run scored. Junior 3B and All-American candidate Eric Jagielo went 1-for-4 with an RBI single.
Notre Dame hit the ball hard on numerous occasions, actually hitting into six line-drive outs, while the Wolverines plated a run on a wild pitch, misplayed fly ball into a double and used six ground ball base hits through the infield.
Notre Dame finally finally solved Bourque in the bottom of the sixth inning. Kutsulis laced a leadoff double and cruised home on Jagielo’s RBI single that made the score, 3-1. After junior 1B and All-American candidate Trey Mancini ripped a liner right at the right fielder, Bourque was pulled in favor of Ogden, who picked up back-to-back punch outs of sophomore LF Ryan Bull and sophomore DH Blaise Lezynski to end the threat.
Ogden cruised through the seventh before Kutsulis drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the eighth. After Jagielo smoked a line drive right at the Michigan centerfielder, Mancini singled to bring the potential tying run to the plate, but Ogden got Bull to strikeout looking to end the inning.
Ogden retired the Irish in order in the ninth.
Notre Dame stranded seven, while the Wolverines left just a pair on the bases.
Hearne was sharp over the first couple innings. He retired the first six Michigan batters of the contest before Cole Martin laced a double to open the top of the third. After a successfully executed sacrifice bunt that moved Martin to third base with one out, Hearne got a punch out on another bunt attempt and appeared as though he might evade the inning without any damage, but he uncorked a wild pitch and Martin cruised home to give the Wolverines a 1-0 lead.
Hearne ran into trouble in the fourth inning as well. Jacob Cronenworth pulled a single through the right side of the infield and Michael O’Neill followed with a double down the left field line to give Michigan a 2-0 lead. Kevin White followed with a double two batters later off junior RHP Donnie Hissa that pushed the Irish deficit to 3-0. The ball was hit on a line right at Charlie Markson, but the Notre Dame centerfielder initially broke in as the ball sailed over his head for an RBI double.
O’Neil, White, Jack Sexton and Martin all had two hits apiece.
Hissa limited the Wolverines to one run on six hits in 3.2 innings. He fanned three without a walk. Freshman RHP Nick McCarty tossed 2.0 scoreless innings. He allowed one hit.
Notre Dame closes its seven-game home stand at Frank Eck Stadium when they play host to Eastern Michigan at 5:35 p.m. on Wednesday.
— ND —