March 19, 2011
SAN ANTONIO – Notre Dame got another superb pitching performance from senior RHP Cole Johnson, but it was not enough to overcome three errors that allowed three critical unearned runs as Gonzaga knocked off the Irish, 4-1, at the Irish Baseball Classic at Wolff Stadium Saturday afternoon. Notre Dame is now 7-10 and has dropped three consecutive games. The Bulldogs have won four straight and improved to 9-7.
Johnson, now 1-4 on the year, was charged with the loss. The right-handed hurler registered his fifth quality start in as many outings and lowered his season ERA to 2.57. Johnson limited Gonzaga to a pair of runs, one earned, on four hits in 7.0 innings of work. He struck out seven and walked just one.
Johnson, who was the starting pitcher in the 19-2 rout of Purdue on Feb. 19, has garnered a total of six runs of support over his last four starts.
Marco Gonzales (2-2) fired a complete game, six-hitter. He allowed one earned run and retired 10 of the last 11 Irish batters. Gonzales struck out seven and issued one walk.
Clayton Eslick of Gonzaga was the only player in the game with more than one hit. He went 2-for-4.
The Bulldogs managed just five hits, while the Irish registered six.
Freshman RHP Dan Slania allowed one hit and no earned runs (two unearned) in 2.0 innings of work. He struck out one.
With Gonzaga clinging to a 2-1 lead in the top of the ninth inning, Slania was victimized by the Irish defense. Eslick led off the frame with a single, but was promptly forced out following Maxx Garrett’s sacrifice bunt attempt. Slania then struck out Royce Bolinger, but the ball bounced out in front of Irish sophomore catcher Joe Hudson. Hefired a strike to sophomore 2B Frank DeSico, who quickly threw to first base to retire Bolinger, but did not step on the second base bag. The double play would have ended the inning.
Cameron Edman then popped up Slania’s first offering of the at-bat into foul territory down the third base line and Hudson appeared to have a beat on the play, but sophomore 3B Adam Norton called off the catcher and then dropped the foul ball. Slania then plunked Edman to put runners on first and second with two outs. Slania appeared to get out of the inning following Steven Halcomb’s fly ball to freshman Eric Jagielo in left field, but the rookie dropped the ball and two Bulldogs scored to push the Gonzaga lead to 4-1.
The three-run cushion was more than enough for Gonzales.
The Irish grabbed a first inning lead off Gonzales. DeSico and senior SS Mick Doyle each singled to put runners on first and second with no outs. Jagielo followed with a perfect sacrifice bunt to move both into scoring position. Freshman 1B Trey Mancini then plated DeSico with a sacrifice fly to give Notre Dame a 1-0 lead. Gonzales evaded any further damage after senior DH Matt Scioscia grounded out to end the inning.
Notre Dame had another golden scoring chance in the bottom of the second inning. Fifth-year OF Herman Petzold singled and Hudson reached on a fielder’s choice (an error allowed Petzold to reach second). Norton followed with a sacrifice bunt to once again move a pair of Irish base runners in scoring position.
Junior OF Alex Robinson then hit a chopper to third base. Petzold was thrown out at home and DeSico grounded into another fielder’s choice to end the inning.
Gonzales was in control the rest of the afternoon. He allowed just two base runners between the third and sixth inning before Scioscia and Hudson singled in the sixth, but Norton struck out looking to end the frame.
Johnson retired seven of the first eight Gonzaga batters before an error by Mancini at first base allowed Halcomb to reach base. After a walk, Johnson got Eric Lane to pop out, but Billy Moon made the Irish pay for the error and singled home Halcomb to tie the score, 1-1.
The Bulldogs grabbed a 2-1 lead on Bolinger’s sacrifice fly in the fourth inning.
Notre Dame plays Gonzaga at 11:00 a.m. CT on Sunday. The game can be heard on WHME Harvest 103.1 FM and UND.com.