Feb. 26, 2005
MESA, Ariz. – The 19th-ranked Notre Dame baseball team jumped out to an early 8-1 lead en route to a 10-2 win in Saturday’s opener but Dayton won a back-and-forth game in the nightcap, 13-9 in 11 innings, to earn a split of doubleheader action at HoHoKam Park. The Irish and Flyers will return to the spring training home of the Chicago Cubs on Sunday morning to conclude the three-game series.
Senior first baseman Matt Edwards hit a two-run home run and scored twice more to pace Notre Dame (4-2) in the opener.
Dayton (4-3) then used three runs in the sixth inning of the nightcap to claim a 5-4 lead but junior rightfielder Cody Rizzo’s leadoff home run forged a 5-5 tie in the bottom of the frame. The Irish reclaimed the lead (7-5) in the seventh but failed to close things out in the ninth, as Dayton forced extra innings when two batters were hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded.
The Flyers scored in the top of the 10th but the Irish answered when Edwards pulled a 2-out, 2-strike double into the leftfield corner, scoring Steve Andres for an 8-8 game. Dayton then put five unearned runs on the board in the 11th, the first on a bases-loaded walk followed by a two-run double and two-run triple.
The teams combined for 35 hits in the nightcap (18 by the Irish) while 29 runners were left on base (17 for the Flyers).
The loss spoiled a 4-for-6 game from sophomore catcher Sean Gaston while freshman second baseman Brett Lilley, Rizzo and Edwards chipped in with three hits each in game-2.
Sophomore righthander Jeff Samardzija is Notre Dame’s scheduled game-three starter for Sunday morning’s 10:00 a.m. game. The Irish have a short turnaround, after playing the rare doubleheader format of two nine-inning games (the teams ultimately played 20 innings for a long Saturday at the ballpark).
Game-1 Notes
* Junior LHP Tom Thornton picked up the win after allowing 2 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks in 6 innings pitched (he located 55 of his 92 pitches for strikes, with one strikeout) … he allowed just two leadoff baserunners and gave up only one 2-out hit.
* Freshman LHP David Gruener (2 IP, H, BB, 2 Ks, 17 of 28 pitches for strikes) and sophomore RHP Dan Kapala (IP, H) then allowed just 3 baserunners the rest of the way.
* Junior RHP Craig Stammen (1-2) took the loss after tossing 100 pitches in 6.2 IP (10 H, 10 R/6 ER, BB, 6 Ks)
* Dayton opened the game with a run before the Irish scored their first 1st-inning runs of the season (3) … Lilley reached from the leadoff spot when he was hit by a 1-2 pitch and UD made 2 errors before junior CF Craig Cooper (RBI) and Rizzo (2 RBI) stroked run-scoring triples.
* ND’s 5-run bottom of the 3rd yielded an 8-1 lead … the big inning included singles from sophomore DH Danny Dressman, Edwards, Gaston (RBI), junior SS Greg Lopez (RBI) and freshman 3B Ross Bresovsky, plus RBI groundballs off the bats of Cooper and Andres and a pair of errors.
* Another Dayton error preceded Edwards’ first-pitch blast over the leftfield fence for his 2nd home run of the season and 22nd of his ND career.
* Neither team hit well with 2 outs (ND 2-for-10, UD 2-for-11) but the Irish batted 8-19 with runners on base (UD 3-for-18) and 4-for-12 with runners in scoring position (UD just 1-for-6).
Game-2 Notes
* UD again claimed an early lead (1-0 in the 2nd) but the Irish answered with 3 runs in the bottom of the inning, thanks to Rizzo’s walk, a Brezovsky single, a double steal, Lopez’s sac. fly, a clutch 2-out triple down the rightfield line by junior centerfielder Alex Nettey (on a 1-2 pitch) and Lilley’s opposite-field single into the left-center gap.
* The Flyers scored again in the 3rd but the Irish restored their two-run cushion in the 5th (4-2) vs. junior RHP Luke Trubee, as Lilley sent a leadoff double to right field, moved up on Dressman’s bunt and scored on an Edwards single to right-center.
* Derik Olvey – who relieved fellow sophomore RHP Jess Stewart in the 6th – allowed a leadoff single in the 6th but then had a pair of impressive strikeouts before seeing UD rally for three runs and the 5-4 lead (on Bobby Getty’s 2-run double to right field and Galen Schumm’s RBI single to shallow center).
* Rizzo quickly tied the game in the bottom of the 6th, pulling a 1-1 pitch over the leftfield fence … Brezovsky followed with a triple down the rightfield line but he was thrown out trying to score on Lopez’s flyout to shallow right
* Freshman LHP Wade Korpi logged 2 strong innings in the 7th and 8th (BB, K, 7 BF).
* The Irish surged ahead (7-5) in the 7ths. senior RHP Drew Chesebro, who hit Lilley with his first pitch … Dressman then delivered a sac bunt, Cooper sent a clutch 2-out double into right field (2-1 pitch) and Gaston singled up the middle on a 1-0 offering (the Irish left 2 runners on in the 7th and again in the 8th).
* Dayton rallied in the 9th vs. junior closer Ryan Doherty … Joe McSoley and William Benoit opened the frame with singles before Roberto Ramos and Chris Rohren (RBI) were hit by pitches … the Irish were one out away from the win when leadoff batter Michael Massa fouled out to the first baseman Edwards but Bobby Getty was hit with a 2-0 pitch to tie the game … freshman RHP Joey Williamson then came on to get the bases-loaded strikeout … Gaston hit a 1-out single in the bottom of the 9th but the game headed to extra innings.
* UD went back ahead in the 10th when Brandon Godzik drew a leadoff walk, McSoley bunted him over and pinch-hitter Jeff Mercer drove a 2-2 pitch past the diving Edwards.
* The Irish stayed alive as Andres drew a pinch-hit walk with 1-out, Lilley added a bases-loaded walk and Edwards came through with 2 outs, sending a 1-2 pitch into the leftfield corner to plate Andres … Lilley held up at third base and was stranded when Cooper flew out to right field.
* Bresovsky made a costly error to start the 11th (failing to come up with a sharp grounder) and Getty added a single to right before a sac. bunt and intentional walk to Godzik … McSoley then drew the bases-loaded walk, Ramos ripped a 2-out, 2-run double down the rightfield line and Todd Presar sliced a 2-run triple into left-center … Gaston led off the bottom of the 11th with a single and came around on a Rizzo double and Brezovsky’s sac. fly.
* The Flyers racked up 10 two-out RBI, batting 8-for-18 with 2 outs, 11-for-33 with runners on and 7-for-21 with runners in scoring positions (6 leadoff batters reached) .. ND hit 10-for-28 with runners (6-for-16 in scoring position) and 7-for-17 with 2 outs.
Dayton 1-0-0 0-1-0 0-0-0 – 2 8 5
Notre Dame 3-0-5 0-0-2 0-0-X – 10 11 1
Craig Stammen (L, 1-2), Phil Ernst (7) and Aaron Hepner, Josh Burt.
Tom Thornton (W, 1-0), David Gruener (7), Dan Kapala (9) and Sean Gaston, Steve Andres.
Home Run: Matt Edwards (ND, 1 on in 6th; 2nd of season, 22nd of career).
Doubles: Craig Cooper (ND), Cody Rizzo (ND), Bobby Getty (UD), Brandon Godzik (UD).
Dayton 0-1-1 0-0-3 0-0-2 1-5 – 13 17 0
Notre Dame 0-3-0 0-1-1 2-0-0 1-1 – 9 18 1
Luke Trubee, Drew Chesebro (7), Kyle Lindsay (9; W, 1-0) and Josh Burt, Aaron Hepner.
Jess Stewart, Derik Olvey (3), Wade Korpi (7), Ryan Doherty (9), Joey Williamson (9; L, 0-1) and Sean Gaston.
Home Runs: Cody Rizzo (ND, solo in 7th; 1st of season, 9th of career).
Triples: Alex Nettey (ND), Ross Bresovsky (ND), Todd Presar (UD)
Doubles: Brett Lilley (ND), Craig Cooper (ND), Bobby Getty (UD), Roberto Ramos (UD), Matt Edwards (ND), Cody Rizzo (ND).