April 22, 2017
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia — The Notre Dame baseball team couldn’t carry over the momentum from a game two win over No. 19 Virginia and dropped the series finale, 9-0, as the clubs played through a rain delay to finish three games in less than 24 hours.
Matt Vierling capped an outstanding series at the plate, going 3-for-4 on the afternoon with a double. For the series, the center fielder went 8-for-14 with three RBI and a run scored. Ryan Lidge added a hit, extending his on-base streak to 18 games. Daniel Jung had the other hit for the Irish.
Nick Podukl went 0-for-4, seeing his 27-game on-base streak come to an end. That marked the longest such streak by an Irish player since 2015.
The Cavaliers jumped on Irish starter Brad Bass, who allowed six runs in the first before giving up a total of nine runs, six earned, in 2.2 innings. Peter Solomon and Patrick McDonald were solid in relief, combining to shutout the Cavaliers on two hits over 3.1 innings.
Key Innings
Bottom First
Virginia struck early and often to plate six in the first. Consecutive doubles opened the game before Adam Haseley homered to right to make it 3-0. After a walk and single, Bass got a strikeout for the first out of the game. Cameron Simmons hit a chopper up the middle, but Cole Daily’s throw pulled Daniel Jung off the bag at first as the fourth run scored before a flyout for out number two. The Cavaliers then perfectly executed a double steal to make it 5-0 before a Jake McCarthy single scored the final run of the frame. Lidge then caught McCarthy stealing to end the inning with the hosts up, 6-0.
Top Third
Notre Dame put the first two on in the first as Jung doubled to left and Shepski walked. The Cavaliers escaped by getting Podkul to hit into a double play before Johnson grounded out to end the frame.
Bottom Third
After the Irish failed to get back in the game, the Cavaliers pulled away. Caleb Knight hit a one-out homer to left center befoe Simmons reached on an error. Novak singled, setting up a two-run triple by McCarthy to make it 9-0. After a flyout, Weber was walked, ending Bass’ day as Solomon entered from the bullpen. He walked Haseley to load the bases before getting a flyout to end the inning with the hosts up 9-0.
On Deck
Notre Dame returns to Frank Eck Stadium, where the Irish are 10-4, to open a 13-game homestand with Valparaiso on Tuesday, April 25. First pitch is set for 6:05 p.m. and the game can be seen on ACC Network Extra and heard on WatchND and 103.1 FM.
— ND —
Michael Scholl joined Fighting Irish Media in August 2016, coordinating communications for the baseball program and assisting with the football team at his alma mater. The South Bend native earned a degree in political science from the College of Arts & Letters in 2009 before going on to work in athletics communications at Providence College, Vanderbilt and Cincinnati.