April 25, 2001
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The Notre Dame baseball team-ranked as high as No. 1 in the national polls-extended the nation’s longest winning streak to 16 games with a 7-3 victory over Valparaiso but then saw that streak come to an end in the Wednesday night’s second game, as the Crusaders held off a late Irish rally to win the nightcap, 4-2, at Eck Stadium.
Valparaiso freshman righthander Adam Paetznick (1-0) was the story of the night, after holding the Irish to a pair of runs on three hits and three walks over six-plus innings. Senior righthander Justin Craker then picked up his 11th save of the season, giving up a single and RBI groundout before recording the final two outs with the tying run at the plate.
After securing the opening seven-inning win, Notre Dame (37-6-1) crept within two games of the program’s record for single-season winning streak (18, in 1991) but Valparaiso (21-15) used its strong pitching, timely hitting and some big defensive plays to win the seven-inning nightcap.
Sophomore righthander Drew Duff (2-0) won the opener with five shutout innings, allowing two hits and no walks while striking out four Valparaiso batters.
Notre Dame’s 12-hit attack in the opener included six doubles (two by senior shortstop Alec Porzel) and the team-leading fourth triple of the season from junior DH Matt Bok. Junior centerfielder Steve Stanley (2 runs) and sophomore rightfielder Brian Stavisky (2 RBI, R) each collected three hits while Porzel scored twice and drove in two other runs.
The Irish broke open the game with a five-hit, five-run fourth inning.
Both teams plated runs in the first inning of the nightcap. Mickey Scala’s one-out double and Mark Pedersen’s single through the right side gave the Crusaders an early lead before the Irish scored an unusual run moments later, after Steve Sollmann’s one-out walk, a stolen base and throwing error on the catcher and Porzel’s foulout to the first baseman that ended up being a sacrifice fly thanks to the heads-up baserunning of Sollmann.
Valparaiso added a run in the fourth when Brian Wolotka singled home Jeff Mandsager before plating what proved to be two valuable runs in the seventh versus sophomore righthander Matt Laird, who had replaced senior lefthander Mike Naumann in the fifth.
Laird opened the seventh by hitting Bill Stanton with a 1-2 pitch before Chris Moore reached on a one-out single that smacked off the third-base bag. Scala and Pederson then delivered RBI singles for a 4-1 cushion.
Junior catcher Paul O’Toole started the Irish game-ending rally by looping a full-count single to left-center, bringing Craker out of the bullpen. Junior third baseman Andrew Bushey then sent a full-count single down the rightfield line and O’Toole scored when Ken Meyer grounded out to the first baseman on a 2-2 pitch.
Craker closed out the game by inducing Joe Thaman’s 2-1 flyout to center field and Stanley’s groundout to the first baseman on another 2-2 pitch.
NOTES: Just two previous ND teams have posted longer single-season winning streaks than ND’s 16-game run, as the ’91 squad won 18 straight and the 1907 team won 17 consecutive (as part of a 21-game overall streak from 1906-07) … Laird saw his shutout streak end at 15.0 innings … ND’s nation-leading team ERA rose just slightly, from 2.51 to 2.55.
VALPARAISO 0-0-0 0-0-1 2 – 3 6 1
#1 NOTRE DAME 1-0-1 5-0-0 0 – 7 12 1
Drew Duff (W, 2-0), Ryan Kalita (6) and Paul O’Toole. Eric Brauer (L, 1-4), Rodney Benner (5) and Kyle Young.
Triple: Matt Bok (ND).
Doubles (all ND): Steve Stanley, Alec Porzel 2, Brian Stavisky, Paul O’Toole, Joe Thaman.
VALPARAISO (21-15) 1-0-0 1-0-0 2 – 4 10 2
#1 NOTRE DAME (37-6-1) 1-0-0 0-0-0 1 – 2 4 0
Mike Naumann (L, 3-1), Matt Laird (5) and Paul O’Toole.
Adam Paetznick (W, 1-0), Justin Craker (7, SV-11) and Bill Stanton.
Doubles: Ken Meyer (ND), Mickey Scala (VU), Marc Boggio (VU), Brandon Sadler (VU).