CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Coming of their ACC opening series win over Wake Forest, the Notre Dame baseball team (6-8, 2-1 ACC) continues its spring break trip with a midweek matchup at Western Carolina (8-5). The Irish and Catamounts will meet for the first time on the baseball diamond and first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Notre Dame (6-8, 2-1 ACC) vs. Western Carolina (8-5) | |
When: | Wednesday, March 13 | 4:00 p.m. ET |
Where: | Cullowhee, N.C. | Hennon Stadium |
Watch: | ESPN+ |
Live Scoring: | WCU Live Stats |
Notes: | Notre Dame |
Social: | @NDBaseball @NotreDameBaseball |
Know the Opponent: Western Carolina Catamounts
- In the middle of their spring break road trip, the Irish will make their first ever trip to Cullowhee, North Carolina to face off with Western Carolina.
- The Catamounts will be just the fourth Southern Conference opponent the Irish have faced and the first since 2015.
- Notre Dame defeated Mercer 8-2 on Feb. 28, 2015 en route to winning the Mercer Baseball Classic.
- The Irish hit four home runs on the day with two from Cavan Biggio and one from Kyle Fiala and Robert Youngdahl.
Gilgenbach Fuels 9th Inning Rally to Clinch Series
- With the series on the line in the second game of a doubleheader, the Irish used a late inning rally to clinch the series.
- The Irish held a 4-2 lead in the sixth inning before the Demon Deacons ripped off five straight runs and took a three-run lead into the ninth.
- John Arndorfer kicked it off with a full-count walk and Spencer Myers followed it up with a single to bring the tying run to the plate.
- Daniel Jung also worked a walk and Carter Putz got a run to the plate after a fielder’s choice.
- Niko Kavadas was the third walk of the inning and Eric Gilgenbach stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and a two-run deficit.
- Gilgenbach took a pitch the other way into right field for a single and scored Spencer Myers and Carter Putz to tie the game.
- In the 10th, Myers hit a grounder to the shortstop and Brooks Coetzee beat the throw home to regain the lead for the Irish.
- Mitch Megias came back out for his second inning of relief to clinch the series and secure his first career win.
Kavadas Powers Irish Past Demon Deacons
- Similar to the final game of the series, in the opener the Irish needed a late rally to claim the opener against the Demon Deacons.
- After the weather postponed the game on Friday, the series opener was pushed to Saturday afternoon.
- On a cold and chilly afternoon, the ball still flew out of David F. Couch Ballpark with five home runs combined between the two teams.
- Daniel Jung got the Irish started with a solo blast in the fourth inning but the Deacs responded with the next three homers to take a 4-2 lead into the later innings.
- Facing a one-run deficit in the eighth, Jung and Carter Putz hit back-to-back singles and Niko Kavadas stepped to the place.
- Kavadas turned on a pitch and sent it over the fence in right to regain the lead for the Irish.
- Cole Kmet came on for the final two innings and recorded his second save of the season.
–ND–