Notre Dame Baseball’s Winning Streak Hits 6 Games, Sweep UNC on the Road

Notre Dame Baseball defeats North Carolina 14-8 on the road to earn second sweep in a row.

The Irish have yet to play a home game, but that hasn’t mattered to Link Jarrett’s team, as they won their 6th game in a row defeating North Carolina 14-8 in Chapel Hill. In their three-game series against the Tar Heels, the Irish offense scored a total of 33 runs, with the offense getting going early in each of the games.

Notre Dame started the scoring in the top of the second, plating five runs to give starter Will Mercer the early lead again. Catcher David LaManna singled home two runs, which started the offensive explosion.

An unearned run off 3B Jack Brannigan’s grounder added another run putting LaManna in scoring position. It was CF Spencer Myers turn next, his second at-bat of the inning, also a single to drive in another run as the lead stretched to four runs. A sacrifice-fly from DH Carter Putz capped the scoring with the Irish leading 5-0 after the top of the 2nd.

Carolina scored one back in the bottom of the second, but the Irish offense put up another crooked number. Shortstop Zack Prajzner hit a solo homer and Branningan singled home another run to stretch the lead to 7-1.

The Tar Heels then fought back to tie the game after 4, scoring a run in the third then getting the first two on in the bottom of the 4th to chase Mercer. Reliever Andrew Belcik couldn’t stop the bleeding as he failed to record while allowing two runs and leaving with the bases loaded. Liam Simon came into the jam and walked in a run. A fielder choice plated another run then a Sac-Fly evened the game.

The tie wouldn’t last long as Notre Dame’s bats came alive for three runs, getting the lead back 10-7 after five and a half. Putz blasted a two-run bomb, his first of the year, as part of the three-run rally.

Carolina kept the game close, scoring a run in the bottom of the 6th before Brannigan had the play of the game. Tar Heel reliever Max Alba came in with the bases load and his first pitch the Irish executed a triple steal, with Brannigan taking home on the play.

Brannigan would then add a 2 RBI single in the 8th to cap an impressive day, going 3 for 4 with five RBI, two runs scored and the steal of home. An insurance Sac-Fly from Miller ended the scoring and propelled the Irish to a 14-8 win, sealing their second consecutive sweep.

The win brings the Irish’s record to 10-2 and a clean 3-0 in the ACC. Their first in-conference sweep since 2014 has gotten Jarrett’s team off to a rousing start. They winning streak is on the line next on Wednesday, as they Irish travel once again to face Radford in Virginia. One more road series before the home opener, but if the Irish continue playing the way they have been, maybe they don’t want to come home just yet.