Nov. 3, 2014
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Triples from sophomore Cavan Biggio and junior Zak Kutsulis in the bottom of the ninth inning broke a 2-2 tie and gave the Gold team a 4-2 victory over the Blue squad in the final game of the annual Blue-Gold Series for the University of Notre Dame baseball team.
After nine runs were put up in Thursday’s scrimmage, pitching was the story for most of the day Sunday, as seven pitchers gave up a combined six runs (four earned) on nine hits in 18 innings of work.
However, the bats finally broke out a bit the last two innings. After senior Conor Biggio tallied a sac fly in the top of the eighth inning to tie the score at two, the Gold team answered in the final frame. Biggio led off the inning with a rocket triple to right field. Two batters later, Kutsulis stepped to the plate and smacked a triple to center field, scoring Biggio and giving Gold the victory. Kutsulis later scored off a ball that reached the backstop to give the game its final margin.
Earlier in the game, both teams plated a run in the second inning, as senior James Nevant hit an RBI single for Blue and sophomore Ryan Lidge cranked a homer off the Jake Kline Field sign in left field for Gold.
In the sixth, Gold took a 2-1 lead off a Clayton Bouchard single to right center field.
Besides those few runs, both pitching staffs turned in solid days on the mound. The Blue team got five innings from starter Michael Hearne, who gave up a run on two hits while striking out three and walking none. Freshman Evy Ruibal also had a good outing for Blue with two innings of work (1 H, 2 SO, 1 BB).
For Gold, starter Nick McCarty allowed an unearned run, one hit and two walks while striking out two batters in four innings on the bump. In relief, sophomore Scott Tully (3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 4 SO) and senior Matt Ternowchek (2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 SO) had good showings.
At the plate, Kutsulis had the lone multi-hit day for either team.
NOTE: With the fall season complete, fans should stay tuned to UND.com for a fall review, the 2015 schedule release, an Irish in the pros update and a feature on grad student Forrest Johnson among other Irish updates as the 2015 season draws closer.
–Russell Dorn, Assistant Media Relations Director
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