DELAND, Fla. — The fourth-ranked Notre Dame baseball team (2-1) dropped the final game of the Hatter Classic to Delaware, 5-4, Sunday morning at Melching Field. The score was tied 4-4 heading into the bottom of the ninth until Aidan Kane hit a walk-off home run to right to end the game and give the Blue Hens (1-2) the win.
How It Happened
Notre Dame jumped out in front in the second inning after Cater Putz led the inning off with a single. After making his way to second, Jack Brannigan brought him home on a double to the wall in center to give the Irish a 1-0 advantage.
The Irish added a run in the fourth after another lead-off single, this time from Jared Miller. He advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher and then came home on a ground out from Carter Putz.
Temple was on it right from the start against Delaware. Through the first four innings, Temple kept the Blue Hens off the scoreboard and tallied seven strikeouts and no walks. Delaware got on the board in the fifth with two runs but Temple struck out the final two batters to get out of the inning.
In the top of the sixth, Notre Dame got one run back after a lead-off single from Ryan Cole. He scored later in the inning after an RBI single up the middle from Putz. In the bottom of the sixth, Delaware plated two more runs to tie the score at 4-4 after six innings.
Freshman right hander Caden Aoki made his first collegiate appearance in the sixth and kept the score tied at 4-4 after getting out of the jam. He set the Blue Hens down in order in the seventh and the eighth before the Blue Hens hit the walk-off in the ninth.
Up Next
The Irish return to campus for a few days before hitting the road again next weekend. The next destination is Greenville, SC as the Irish will play Marist and Monmouth at Flour Field, home of the Greenville Drive. The first game is set for 4 p.m. ET on Friday against Marist and will be broadcast on the Greenville Drive Youtube Channel.
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