SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Notre Dame (23-21, 7-18 ACC) suffered a gritty 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh (19-23, 6-16 ACC) in the first of three meetings between the teams.
Pittsburgh scored all three of their runs in the first four innings with Notre Dame holding them scoreless in the final five innings. The Irish have outscored opponents 122-68 in the seventh inning or later this season through today’s game.
The Irish came into the game leading the nation with a .984 fielding percentage. They recorded another perfect 1.000 fielding performance in today’s game, including a spectacular over-the-shoulder diving catch in the outfield by OF TJ Williams, who laid out to retire the leadoff batter in the top of the third.
Entering the weekend, Notre Dame had turned 39 fielding double plays this season, ranking second in the ACC. They bring the season total to 40 with another combined effort from infielders Jack Penney, Estevan Moreno and Connor Hincks. Hincks, leading the ACC in fielding double plays, brings his individual season total to 39. The next-closest individual entered the weekend with 31.
RHP Ricky Reeth did not give up any runs, walked just one and struck out three in his relief effort through four complete innings. Starting RHP Matt Bedford (2-6) struck out five, but ultimately took the loss.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After forcing Pittsburgh’s leadoff batter into a groundout and giving up a walk, Bedford dealt back-to-back strikeouts to swiftly send the Irish up to bat. The Irish reciprocated a leadoff groundout and a drawn walk by OF David Glancy, but another groundout into a double play moved the game to the second inning.
In the second, after another lead off groundout to Moreno for the Panthers, Bedford delivered his third strikeout of the night. Though the next couple of Pittsburgh batters were able to draw walks, another groundout to Moreno secured the third out.
Pittsburgh starter RHP Ryan Andrade managed to strike out the first two Irish in order. INF Simon Baumgardt singled to the left side, and was then able to advance on a passed ball. A foul out pushed the game to the next half inning.
In the top of the third, Williams made an incredible over-the-shoulder snag in deep center field to sit the leadoff batter. A pair of singles put two on base for the Panthers. Another single to follow scored one, putting Pittsburgh up 1-0. A flyout and a foul out ended the half inning, but the Irish were unable to produce from the plate, going three up, three down.
The Panthers led off with a single in the fourth, but Bedford quickly struck out the next batter swinging. After a flyout and a drawn walk, the next Pittsburgh batter doubled, tacking on two more runs and bringing the score to 3-0. Bedford then delivered a three-pitch strikeout, recording his fifth of the night and helping the Irish escape the top half of the inning. Glancy singled up the middle, but a flyout and double play closed out the fourth.
After a groundout and a single in the top of the fifth, the Irish turned a double play–a combined effort from Penney, Moreno, and Hincks. The double play marked Notre Dame’s 40th of the season, Hincks having a hand in 39 of them. All three Irish batters were retired in the bottom of the fifth.
Reeth took the mound for Bedford in the top of the sixth. It was a quiet inning with both teams going three up, three down. Reeth recorded his first strikeout as part of the defensive effort. The Irish defense further held the Panthers a second-consecutive three up, three down in the top of the seventh, but after a strikeout, drawn walk by Penney, a flyout and groundout, were also held scoreless in the bottom of the inning.
In the top of the eighth, the Panthers hit a leadoff single. A sacrifice bunt and a fielder’s choice to Penney notched the first two outs for the Irish defense. After another single, Reeth struck out his second batter of the night to bring the Irish back to the plate.
Baumgardt led off the top of the eighth with a single up the middle. Another single by OF Tito Flores advanced Baumgardt. DH Brady Gumpf sent one more single to left field, scoring Baumgardt. A sacrifice bunt by C Joey Spence advanced Gumpf and Flores into scoring position, but neither were able to turn home on a strikeout and flyout to move the game to the ninth at 3-1.
Notre Dame kept Pittsburgh scoreless in the ninth, forcing a flyout on the leadoff batter. After the next batter singled to second base, Reeth rang another strikeout. After a passed ball and a walk, the Irish forced a final groundout. In the bottom of the ninth, after a flyout and a strikeout, Hincks singled to left field. However, the Irish were unable to pull off a rally, and the game ended on a flyout with a 3-1 score.
UP NEXT
Notre Dame and Pittsburgh continue for Game Two of the weekend series on Saturday, May 4 at 4 p.m. ET. The series will then conclude on Sunday, May 5 at 2 p.m. ET. Both games will be broadcast nationally on ACC Network.