Feb. 25, 2012
Game-1: Box Score | Box Score 
Game-2: Box Score | Box Score
CARY, N.C. – Notre Dame extended its streak to five straight games with at least 10 hits en route to a doubleheader sweep of Hostra Saturday afternoon at the USA Baseball Training Complex. The Irish took the opener, 6-3, before holding off the Pride, 10-8, in the nightcap. Notre Dame improved to 4-1 on the season, while Hofstra dropped to 1-5.
Sophomore 1B Trey Mancini continued his torrid start to the 2012 campaign. He went 4-for-7 with a double, three walks (two intentional), three runs scored and four RBI. Mancini already has 10 RBI in five games this year. He went 3-for-3 with an RBI single, two-run single, two walks and two runs scored in the opener. Mancini added an RBI double and run scored in the nightcap.
Sophomore RHP Dan Slania picked up saves in both victories. The closer pitched a perfect 9th inning with a pair of strikeouts in the 6-3 victory and added another punch out in 0.2 scoreless inning of relief in the nightcap.
Junior Frank DeSico recorded multi-hit games in each outing. DeSico went 3-for-4 with a double, RBI single and three runs scored in the nightcap. He had a pair of hits, including a double and run scored, in the opener.
Junior RHP Adam Norton and sophomore RHP Sean Fitzgerald each picked up victories. Norton worked 7.0+ innings and allowed five earned runs, two after leaving the game, on eight hits. He struck out one and walked one. Norton improved to 2-0 on the year. He has pitched into the eighth inning of each of his starts this season.
Fitzgerald rebounded from a difficult start in the Irish season opener. The righty allowed three earned runs on eight hits in 5.1 innings. Fitzgerald fanned three and walked one. He upped his record to 1-0 on the year.
Sophomore LF Eric Jagielo provided the key blow for Notre Dame in the nightcap. With the Irish leading 7-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Jagielo pulled a three-run home run (his first of 2012) just inside the foul pole down the right field line to push the Notre Dame advantage to 10-3.
The additional three runs proved critical as the Pride scored three in the top of the eighth, added two more in the top of the ninth and ultimately brought the tying run to the plate down, 10-8, in the ninth before Slania got a strikeout to end the game.
Reigning BIG EAST Player of the Week and Irish junior C Joe Hudson went 4-for-8 in the twin bill with a run scored and two RBI, including another three-hit affair. Hudson went 3-for-3 in the opener. His batting average sits at a robust .611.
Notre Dame’s bullpen of senior LHP Steve Sabatino, freshman RHP Matt Ternowchek, senior LHP Joe Spano, freshman RHP Cristian Torres and Slania combined for 3.2 scoreless innings of relief in the opener.
Hofstra drew within a run, 4-3, in the opener, but Sabatino replaced Fitzgerald and tossed 2.0 scoreless innings. The southpaw allowed one hit, walked one and struck out one. Spano and Torres each retired the only batter they faced and Slania cruised through the Pride in the ninth.
The Irish have not opened a season with four victories over their first five games of the year since 2005.
Notre Dame returns to action at 12:05 p.m. ET on Sun., Feb. 26 with the third and final game of the series with Hofstra.
— ND —