CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — The 25th-ranked Notre Dame baseball team used the long ball to win the series opener 10-5 over No. 21 Virginia Friday afternoon at Disharoon Park. The Irish (5-2, 5-2 ACC) hit three home runs and tallied 14 hits to take the early lead in the series.
“Some big moments throughout the course of the game,” said head coach Link Jarrett. “Three home runs and the base-running helped ignite our offense which has not been as consistent as we would like. Sheridan pitched really sharp and controlled five innings of relief including seven strikeouts.”
Jared Miller, Niko Kavadas and Brooks Coetzee all went yard for the Irish as the offense carried the way on Friday. Graduate student Joe Sheridan came on in relief of Liam Simon and shut the Cavaliers (7-6, 2-5 ACC) down at the plate. Sheridan tossed five innings of scoreless relief and allowed just one hit.
“The 6-4-3 double play was a great turn by Prajzner and Miller and a key moment upon Sheridan entering the game,” said Jarrett. “Coetzee’s three-run home run was a huge lift for us in the eighth. Says a lot about our guys….we got in the hotel about midnight, rolled out to win a grinding game against a great team and talented starting pitcher.”
Simon earned his third win of the season while Sheridan picked up his first save as the Irish won their third game in a row.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After going down quietly through the order the first time, the Irish bats made some noise the next time through.
The top of the third was set to be over as Carter Putz struck out but the ball got past the catcher and Putz was able to make it to first base. The very next batter made the Cavaliers pay as Miller crushed a 3-0 fastball to deep left field for his second home run of the season. Miller’s second hit of the ballgame gave the Irish an early 2-0 lead.
The 2-0 lead did not last long as the Cavaliers answered with four runs of their own to take a 4-2 lead after the first three innings.
Just as the Cavaliers did in the third, the Irish responded in the fourth to regain the lead. A clever slide by Coetzee on a double steal beat the tag at second and got two runners into scoring position. Jack Zyska came home on the sacrifice fly from Zack Prajzner and the very next batter tied the game for the Irish. Jack Brannigan singled up the middle and Coetzee scored to tie the game. Putz regained the lead for the Irish after his single up the middle scored Brannigan to give Notre Dame a 5-4 advantage.
Notre Dame continued to keep hitting into the fifth inning courtesy of Kavadas. He got around on a 3-1 fastball and crushed it over the wall in right center for the solo home run. It is his fourth home run in just seven games this season and he doubled the Irish lead to 6-4.
With the lead cut to just 6-5 going into the eighth inning, Coetzee provided the Irish with some breathing room. LaManna got it going with a full count walk and Ryan Cole followed it up with a single. Coetzee took a pitch the other way and it cleared the wall in right for his first home run of the season and the second of his career. The three-run homer increased the Irish lead to 9-5 after eight innings.
With another run added in the ninth after an RBI-double from Kavadas, Sheridan went back out to close the game out. He punched out the final batter of the game for his seventh strikeout and clinched the win for the Irish. His five innings of relief earned him his first save in an Irish uniform.
STATS OF THE GAME
- Niko Kavadas tallied his fourth home run in just seven games so far this season. He leads the Irish in home runs and RBI (11).
- Jared Miller got the Irish on the board first with his second home run of the season in the third.
- The Irish tagged Andrew Abbott for nine hits in 4.1 innings. Coming into the game, Abbott had allowed only 10 hits in 18 innings.
- Brooks Coetzee put the exclamation point on the game with his first home run of the season and second of his career in the eighth inning.
- Notre Dame hit three home runs in a game for the first time since February 15, 2020 against UAB.
UP NEXT
The Irish will look to clinch the series Saturday afternoon when the two teams met for the second game of the weekend. LHP John Michael Bertrand will be on the mound for the Irish as the game is set for a 1 p.m. ET start and will be aired on the ACC Network Extra.
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