Notre Dame has been playing baseball since 1892 but the program saw a first happen in Tuesday’s dominating win over Purdue that opened the home portion of the 2024 schedule.
Sophomore Estevan Moreno hit three home runs in the 11-2 victory, becoming the first player in program history to hit three home runs in three different games during his Fighting Irish career. It took him all of 62 career games to accomplish the feat.
He also hit three home runs this past Saturday at Tennessee Tech and in his last 13 at bats has seven hits with six of them landing out of the park.
Moreno got Notre Dame on the board with a solo shot in the third inning, giving the Irish a 1-0 lead. A Simon Baumgardt single in the fourth inning scored Connor Hincks to make the score 2-0 before Carson Tinney singled in a run to stretch things to 3-0.
Purdue rallied for a pair of runs in the top of the fifth, getting within 3-2, but it was all Notre Dame from there out.
Brady Gumpf doubled home a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth to re-extend Notre Dame’s lead to three. A pitch clock violation and second solo home run by Moreno moved things to 7-2.
Leading 10-2 in the bottom of the eighth Moreno stepped to the plate and swatted his third solo home run of the day.
Moreno hits ANOTHER home run, making him the only player in program history to hit three homers in three separate games! ☘️
B8
☘️ 11
🚂 2#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/qhXZwC6UPy— Notre Dame Baseball (@NDBaseball) March 6, 2024
Notre Dame won the contest 11-2 to move to 9-2 on the season while Purdue fell to 8-4.
The Irish return to action Friday to begin a three-game series opening ACC play at Virginia Tech.
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