Five Alive, Notre Dame Baseball Win Streak Hits 5 Games, Go For Sweep of UNC Tomorrow

Notre Dame Baseball wins its fifth straight game, go for series sweep of UNC tomorrow.

The Irish offense struck early again, this time a 2-run Homer from LF Jack Zyska, to give starter Alex Rao a lead over host North Carolina before throwing a pitch.

Rao worked three plus innings, getting a great defensive play by RF Brooks Coetzee that ended a two-on situation in the bottom of the third.

Rao started the fourth but gave up a leadoff double and was pulled by first-year Manager Link Jarrett. Reliever Joe Boyle entered the game and allowed the inherited runner to score, evening up the game at 4 after four. Shortstop Zack Prajzner made a phenomenal play to start an inning ending double-play.

The offense awoke in the top of the 6th, as David LaManna’s pinch hit single drove in two runs giving the Irish a 4-2 lead.

Four more runs in the top of the 7th broke the game open for Notre Dame, Coatzee’s three-run bomb after a Prajzner RBI double accounted for the damage.

The Tar Heels fought back in the bottom of the inning, scoring five times to trim the Irish lead to one at 8-7 after seven. North Carolina would tie the game in the bottom of the 8th on the second unearned run allowed by the Irish defense. The game would head into extra innings and in the top of the 10th pinch-hitter Eric Gilgenbach cleared the bases with a double giving the Irish a 11-8 lead.

It was a complete team effort to get this win, as Jack Brannigan started the game at third base and ended the game on the mound to get the win. That makes 5 straight wins for the Irish, winners of their first four series of the year and an opportunity for their second sweep in a row tomorrow. It has been quite a start for Jarrett in his first season in South Bend. Notre Dame attempts to bring out the brooms again tomorrow, with first pitch set for 1pm EST.