SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The 12th-ranked Notre Dame baseball team (27-10, 12-8) used a big first inning to carry them to a 11-5 win over Boston College (17-27, 4-19) on Saturday to even the series. The Irish scored eight runs in the opening inning, propelled by Zack Prajzner’s first career grand slam, to win the middle game of the series.
At the plate, the Irish scored double-digit runs for the 12th time this season and the long ball did much of the damage against Boston College. Prajzner’s grand slam was his third home run of the season and Jack Brannigan hit his sixth home run of the season on the afternoon. Brannigan led the way at the plate with a 4-for-4 showing and he tied a career high in hits and runs with three. Prajzner tied a career high with 4 RBI in the game.
Eight of the nine starters for the Irish recorded hits against Boston College and all nine reached base in the game. The eight runs in the first tied for the most runs in an inning this season for the Irish. They scored eight runs in the third inning against Elon and in the first inning against Marist.
On the mound, Alex Rao earned his second win of the season after 3.2 innings of relief. He struck out four batters in the outing and only allowed one run.
How It Happened
The Irish exploded in the first inning, putting eight runs on the scoreboard and batted around in the opening frame. The Irish opened the game with three-straight hits to score two runs. Ryan Cole and Brooks Coetzee III both hit doubles to start the game and Carter Putz added a single. After the first out of the inning, the Irish ripped off five straight hits. Four straight singles, including two bunts singles, scored two more runs and loaded the bases for Prajzner. He unloaded on a 1-1 pitch and sent it over the wall in left for his first career grand slam. The Irish sent a total of 11 batters to the plate in the first and led 8-0 after the inning concluded.
The Eagles began to claw back in the fourth inning. They scored four runs in the inning and cut the Irish lead in half to 8-4.
The Irish got a couple insurance runs in the fifth courtesy of the long ball. Brannigan launched his sixth home run of the season, a two-run shot, in the inning to add to the Irish lead. After five full innings, the Irish were up 10-4.
The team’s exchanged runs in the seventh inning. The Eagles hit a solo home run in the top half and Brannigan scored in the bottom of the inning off an error. After seven innings, the Irish held an 11-5 lead.
Rao and Aidan Tyrell finished off the final two innings to secure the win for the Irish and set up the rubber match for Sunday.
Up Next
The Irish and Eagles will square off on Sunday for the series after the teams split the opening two games. The series finale is set for 1 p.m. ET at Frank Eck Stadium and will be streamed on the ACC Network Extra. Admission is free for all fans at Frank Eck Stadium this season.
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