April 25, 2012
Box Score | Box Score
| Game Notes
Notre Dame, Ind. – Junior OF Charlie Markson (Whitefish Bay, WI/Whitefish Bay) and freshman OF Mac Hudgins (Richmond, VA/Douglas S. Freeman) each collected two hits and drove in a run apiece, but the Notre Dame baseball team dropped a 9-4 non-conference decision to Central Michigan inside Frank Eck Stadium Wednesday evening.
Notre Dame (22-17) allowed a first inning run but answered back with a three spot in the bottom half of the frame.
Senior OF Alex Robinson (Dallas, TX/First Baptist Academy) drove in the first run on a bases loaded walk and then sophomore INF Trey Mancini (Winter Haven, FL/Winter Haven) scored on a wild pitch. The final run came off of the bat of Hudgins, who singled in junior C Joe Hudson (Odessa, FL/Tampa Jesuit).
The Irish, however, could not hold on to the lead as Central Michigan (18-24) sent seven batters to the plate in the second and scored four times.
Irish freshman starting pitcher Matt Ternowchek (3-2) (Glenmoore, PA/Downington East) was chased after 1.1 innings as he allowed five runs on six hits, walked one and fanned a batter.
Freshman second baseman Pat McKenzie delivered a two-run single in the second and junior shortstop Jordan Dean capped the big inning with a two-run double. McKenzie would finish the game with four RBI, going 1-for-2 with a bases loaded walk and a squeeze bunt later in the game.
Dean chipped in three RBI while going 2-for-4 with the double and a sacrifice fly to pace the Chippewa attack.
Both offenses went quiet for the next three innings, but Notre Dame would get a run back on a Markson RBI double to bring the contest within a run at 5-4 in the bottom half of the fifth.
The Irish though would not draw any closer as they could only get one runner into scoring position over the final three innings.
Central Michigan, meanwhile, would add a tally in the sixth and then cross the plate twice in the seventh while adding its final run in the ninth on a safety squeeze to push the to lead to 9-4.
Earning the win for the Chippewas was Ryan Longstreth (3-3), who pitched 2.1 innings of relief and gave up just one hit, while walking one and striking out a pair.
Notre Dame will return to the diamond Friday evening at 5:35 p.m. at Frank Eck Stadium against BIG EAST foe St. John’s. In-game updates will be available on Twitter at @NDBaseball and Facebook at NDBaseball, and fans can listen to all the action locally on 103.1 FM and on the Internet at UND.com.