GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Notre Dame Fighting Irish advanced to 3-3 on the 2023 season as they took home their first series win of the year after today’s win over UNC Greensboro. Notre Dame defeated the Spartans in a 7-4 victory on Sunday afternoon at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
How it Happened
The Irish struck first as grad students Zack Prajzner and Brooks Coetzee got the Notre Dame offense rolling. Prajzner would reach first on a walk and after stealing second, Coetzee recorded an RBI single to send Prajzner home and put the Irish on the board. Notre Dame held the Spartans scoreless the first three innings and led 1-0 to start the fourth.
Prajzner would reach first again from a throwing error by third base and after a single to right field from Coetzee, the Irish had runners on first and second with no outs. After consecutive walks, Carter Putz and Jack Penney would reach and send home Prajzner with bases loaded and Vinny Martinez up to bat.
Martinez reached on a fielder’s choice to third base and advanced Putz to third and Penney to second. Casey Kmet followed with a sacrifice bunt and sent home Putz, giving the Irish a 3-0 advantage over UNCG. To cap off the five-run inning for Notre Dame, Danny Neri recorded an RBI single to right field that scored Martinez and Penney.
While the Irish led 5-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth, the Spartans weren’t going anywhere. On their second hit of the day, UNCG homered to left field and scored three Spartans to bring it within two at 5-3.
Williams would keep the offense going in fifth after a single up the middle and a stolen base at second. Williams advanced to third after Prajzner grounded out to the shortstop and ran home on a passed ball with Coetzee at the plate. The Irish extended their lead to 6-3 heading into the sixth.
Notre Dame held the Spartans scoreless in the fifth and sixth inning as the Irish continued to put runs on the board. In the top of the seventh, freshman Estevan Moreno got his first career hit as he doubled to left field and after stealing third, was scored on a William’s single to make it a 7-3 ballgame.
Bedford, who got the win for Notre Dame, continued to dominate at the hill for the Irish. He threw four strikeouts over three innings and allowed no runs and only one hit.
Sammy Cooper and Carter Bosch would close out the game for the Irish. Cooper relieved Bedford to start the bottom of the ninth and Bosch relieved Cooper with two outs in the ninth. Bosch went to work, striking out the final batter for UNCG as Notre Dame took home the 7-4 win to take the series.
Up Next
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are back in action this upcoming weekend to take on UAB in a three game series at Young Memorial Field in Birmingham, Alabama.