Blue-Gold Game-3 Stats
Three-Game Blue Team Stats
Three-Game Blue Team Game-By-Game Stats
Three-Game Gold Team Stats
Three-Game Gold Team Game-By-Game Stats
Oct. 6, 2005
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Jess Stewart turned in a solid pitching performance and freshman David Hum’s home run led five extra-base hits for the winning team, as the Gold defeated the Blue ( 6-3) in Thursday’s third and final game of the Notre Dame baseball team’s annual fall intrasquad series.
Per the tournament rules, the Gold could have won the series if their game-three margin had been four or more runs. Instead, the teams finished tied in run differential (16-16) and the Blue was declared the series winner due to its victories in the first two games (7-6, 6-4).
The Gold – which failed to hold late leads in the previous two games – owned a significant statistical edge in the series for team batting average (.303, to the Blue’s .246) and staff ERA (3.71 to 6.50) but the Gold was guilty of seven errors that led to nine unearned runs in the series.
Six Gold batters collected hits in Thursday’s seven-inning finale, led by senior catcher Cody Rizzo (2-for-4, RBI, run, 2 doubles), senior rightfielder Craig Cooper (2-for-4, RBI, run, triple, 2 stolen bases) and junior centerfielder Danny Dressman (2-for-2, RBI, 2 walks).
Cody Rizzo legged out a pair of doubles in Thursday’s game while improving his career batting avg. in the Blue-Gold Series to .333.
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Stewart allowed three runs (all unearned) in 4.1 innings of work, with the junior righthander striking out four Blue batters while allowing five hits and two walks in his 72-pitch outing (48 for strikes). Freshman righthander Jeremy Barnes then picked up the save, retiring eight of the nine batters he faced with one walk and a strikeout (19 of his 30 pitches went for strikes). Barnes again started the game at second base and made some key contributions at the plate, with an RBI double, two walks and a run scored.
The Blue’s pair of runs in the bottom of the 5th ultimately helped provide the clinching margin, as junior first baseman Mike Dury’s RBI single and a sacrifice fly from Steve Andres cut the deficit to 4-3. The Gold later added two runs but failed to push across another for the needed four-run cushion.
Dressman (4-for-7, 2 RBI, R, 2 BB) and Rizzo (4-for-10, 3 RBI, 2 R, 2 2B) paced the Gold offense in the series while sophomore shortstop Ross Brezovsky (4-for-9, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2B, BB) was the top hitter for the Blue.
Mike Dury’s RBI single helped secure the series-clinching margin while the two-way performer did not allow an earned run in the final three innings of game-3.
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First-year Irish assistant coach and Gold skipper Cliff Godwin made some defensive switches for game-3, moving Hum from catcher to first base, Cooper into right field and Rizzo behind the plate (all three played error-free in the series finale).
Senior lefthander Tom Thornton logged two innings in a controlled start (H, R, 2 BB, K, 30 pitches/15 strikes) whle freshman Sam Elam was touched for three runs in two innings of middle relief (5 H, 3 BB, 55 pitches/26 strikes). Dury completed the Blue’s stretch of three straight lefthanders by throwing the final three frames, allowing a pair of unearned runs (3 H, 2 Ks, 41 pitches/25 strikes).
The Gold nearly scored in the 1st inning for the third straight day, after Barnes drew a leadoff walk and moved up on a groundout and flyout – but Thornton delivered strikeout to leave the runner stranded.
Danny Dressman – pictured on base during game-1 – reached base four times in the series finale.
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A second-inning double play proved costly the next inning, as Hum’s home run was a solo shot instead of a potential three-run blast. The newcomer turned on a 2-0 pitch from Stewart and pulled it down the rightfield line for the early 1-0 lead.
The Gold added a run in the 3rd, with Barnes again drawing a leadoff walk (after working to a full count vs. his classmate Elam). Rizzo then sent a 1-0 pitch into the left-center gap for an RBI double but Elam later caught him in a rundown. That miscue also proved costly as Cooper hit a two-out single that could have plated Rizzo. The inning also included a stolen base for Cooper and walk by Dressman but both runners were left stranded when Elam served up a flyout down the rightfield line.
The Blue cashed in an infield throwing error moments later, with Brezovsky providing the RBI single up the middle. The Gold came back to score twice in the 4th, providing a 4-1 lead that left them one run shy of the clinching margin. Hum led off with a full-count walk and moved up on a sacrifice bunt from classmate Eddy Mendiola before Barnes ripped a full-count pich into the left-center gap for his RBI double. The Gold lost another potential run when Barnes was thrown out trying to swipe third, with Rizzo then placing a double down the leftfield line (3-1 pitch) and Lopez poking a 1-1 pitch through the right side to plate Rizzo for the three-run lead.
Ryan Connolly (left) and David Hum were two of several freshmen who saw action in the Blue-Gold Series.
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The Gold had a solid scoring chance in the 5th, after Dressman’s one-out single and a sac. bunt from sophomore leftfielder Tony Langford – but Dury induced a flyout and groundout to keep the margin at three runs.
The Blue essentially clinched the series title by scoring twice in their half of the 5th. An infield fielding error and junior catcher Sean Gaston’s opposite-field single to left (1-1 pitch) put those runners on base and Dury came through with one out, sending a 1-0 pitch back up the middle for a 4-2 game. Barnes then took the mound in relief of Stewart but he could not prevent Andres from lifting a 2-2 pitch into left-center for the sacrifice fly.
The Gold squared the series run-differential by pushing across a pair of runs in the 6th. A two-out fielding error set things in motion, followed by a wild pitch and Cooper’s RBI triple into the right-center gap (on a 2-2 pitch). Dressman followed with his own opposite-field hit, dropping a single into left-center to score Cooper for the final margin (6-3).
Craig Cooper’s RBI triple helped the Gold nearly claim the Blue-Gold Series title.
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The Blue wrapped up the series in the top of the 7th, as Dury posted a flyout and pair of strikeouts to keep the margin at three runs.
In addition to Brezovsky, other top hitters in the series for the Blue included senior second baseman Matt Bransfield (2-for-5, RBI, 4 R, 3 BB, 2 HBP, SF, SB), Gaston (4-for-11, 4 RBI, 2 R, 2B) and senior centerfielder Alex Nettey (4-for-11, RBI, 3 R, 2B). Dressman and Rizzo were joined by Barnes (3-for-7, RBI, 2 R, 3 BB) among the top series hitters for the Gold.
The Gold held the series edge in most situational hitting categories, batting .355 in the series with runners on base (.250 by the Blue), .444 with runners in scoring position (.231 for Blue) and .385 with 2-outs (.200 for Blue). The Blue did hold a slight edge in leadoff on-base pct., at .474 (to .421 for the Gold).
Crafty veteran Tom Thornton logged the first two innings for the Blue in game-3.
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Bransfield finished as a .400 career hitter in Blue-Gold Series games (8-for-20, 10 RBI, 8 R, SB, SF) while also reaching base eight other times via quality plate appearances (5 BB, 3 HBP). Rizzo capped his Blue-Gold career hitting at a .333 clip (11-for-33) with 11 RBI and 9 runs scored (HR, 3B, 2 2B, 2 BB, 2 HBP, 4 SB, SF).
Dressman will head into the fall of 2006 as a .381 career hitter in the Blue-Gold Series (8-for-21, 2 RBI, 7 R, 2B, 6 BB, 3 SB) while Gaston owns a .346 career batting avg. in the fall intrasquad games (9-for-26, 6 RBI, 7 R, 3B, 2 2B, BB, SB).
ND Gold 0-1-1 2-0-2 0 – 6 9 2
ND Blue 0-0-1 0-2-0 0 – 3 5 1
Freshman Jeremy Barnes had an RBI double and retired 8-of-9 batters he faced to save the 6-3 win.
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Jess Stewart (W), Jereemy Barnes (5; SV) and Cody Rizzo.
Tom Thornton, Sam Elam (3; L), Mike Dury (4) and Sean Gaston.
Home Run: David Hum (G; 1 on in 2nd)
Triple: Craig Cooper (G)
Doubles: Jeremy Barnes (G), Cody Rizzo 2 (G)