LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Notre Dame (27-25, 9-21 ACC) suffered a 14-6 loss to Louisville (32-22, 16-14 ACC) in the regular season finale Friday.
INF Jack Penney and INF Simon Baumgardt notched two hits apiece in Friday’s game, and INF Estevan Moreno homered. Overall, seven Irish player posted hits on the day.
Starting RHP Rory Fox (2-3) took the loss. OF TJ Williams made the catch of the day in shallow center field in the fourth inning, diving to grab a sacrifice fly ball.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Notre Dame drew two walks in the first inning, but neither runner was able to come home. Fox dealt a strikeout in the bottom of the inning as the Cardinals went three up, three down.
In the second, Baumgardt led off with a single, also stealing second, but was left on base. In the bottom of the inning, Louisville’s first two batters hit two-consecutive solo home runs, and after two outs, added another solo homer to go up 3-0.
The Irish were unable to generate runs in the third, and in the bottom of the inning, Louisville hit yet another solo home run. After Fox delivered another strikeout, RHP Bennett Flynn entered in relief and struck out the next batter to limit the damage.
Notre Dame sat down in order in the fourth, and after a double and HBP from Louisville in the bottom half, a sac bunt moved both runners to scoring position. A sacrifice fly scored one, but Williams made the diving grab on the fly ball to save more runs. Later on, a double scored another run for the Cardinals, giving them a 6-0 lead after the fourth.
C Tony Lindwedel delivered a single in the fifth, and OF David Glancy drew a walk, but neither was able to score. After an out in the bottom of the inning, a single and home run meant two more for the Cardinals. RHP Will Jacobsen entered to pitch for Notre Dame, and sat the next two batters to end the inning down 8-0.
Moreno led off the sixth inning with a solo home run, and after an out, Baumgardt doubled. OF Brady Gumpf took a HBP, and DH Tito Flores singled to load the bases. A wild pitch pushed all three runners a base, scoring Baumgardt. Lindwedel walked, and after an out, Glancy drew a bases-loaded HBP to score Gumpf. Penney then singled to score both Flores and Lindwedel, and the Irish ended the top half down only three after batting through the lineup.
Louisville took advantage of Irish missteps in the bottom of the sixth, drawing a walk and HBP, with both runners reaching scoring position on a passed ball. A walk…