SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Notre Dame (23-21, 7-18 ACC) suffered a gritty 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh (19-23, 6-16 ACC) in the first of three meetings between the teams.
Pittsburgh scored all three of their runs in the first four innings with Notre Dame holding them scoreless in the final five innings. The Irish have outscored opponents 122-68 in the seventh inning or later this season through today’s game.
The Irish came into the game leading the nation with a .984 fielding percentage. They recorded another perfect 1.000 fielding performance in today’s game, including a spectacular over-the-shoulder diving catch in the outfield by OF TJ Williams, who laid out to retire the leadoff batter in the top of the third.
Entering the weekend, Notre Dame had turned 39 fielding double plays this season, ranking second in the ACC. They bring the season total to 40 with another combined effort from infielders Jack Penney, Estevan Moreno and Connor Hincks. Hincks, leading the ACC in fielding double plays, brings his individual season total to 39. The next-closest individual entered the weekend with 31.
RHP Ricky Reeth did not give up any runs, walked just one and struck out three in his relief effort through four complete innings. Starting RHP Matt Bedford (2-6) struck out five, but ultimately took the loss.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After forcing Pittsburgh’s leadoff batter into a groundout and giving up a walk, Bedford dealt back-to-back strikeouts to swiftly send the Irish up to bat. The Irish reciprocated a leadoff groundout and a drawn walk by OF David Glancy, but another groundout into a double play moved the game to the second inning.
In the second, after another lead off groundout to Moreno for the Panthers, Bedford delivered his third strikeout of the night. Though the next couple of Pittsburgh batters were able to draw walks, another groundout to Moreno secured the third out.
Pittsburgh starter RHP Ryan Andrade managed to strike out the first two Irish in order. INF Simon Baumgardt singled to the left side, and was then able to advance on a passed ball. A foul out pushed the game to the next half inning.
In the top of the third, Williams made an incredible over-the-shoulder snag in deep center field to sit the leadoff batter. A pair of singles put two on base for the Panthers. Another single to follow scored one, putting Pittsburgh up 1-0. A flyout and a foul out ended the half inning, but the Irish were unable to produce from the plate, going three up,…