JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Notre Dame baseball team took a 19-6 win in seven innings in game one but fell in an 8-1 contest in the series finale against North Florida on Saturday.
The host Ospreys got on the scoreboard first in the opener with three runs in the bottom of the first. After a scoreless second inning, the Irish broke through in the top of the third with a four-run outburst. Bino Watters and Estevan Moreno each hit a single, and Carson Tinney drove in Watters with a single of his own. Parker Brzustewicz made it four consecutive singles in the inning while driving in Moreno on his first career hit. Jayce Lee laced a single to load the bases, and Nick DeMarco drew a bases-loaded walk to plate Tinney. A fielder’s choice by Brady Gumpf then put the Irish ahead as Gumpf drove in Brzustewicz on the play.
North Florida drew even with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning. DJ Helwig wrung up a strikeout looking with bases loaded to prevent the Ospreys from gaining a lead.
The momentum of the game turned for good in the top of the sixth inning when the Irish scored ten runs on five hits for a commanding 14-4 lead. Notre Dame sent 13 batters to the plate in the inning and scored seven of their ten runs with two outs gone in the inning. Estevan Moreno had a double and a grand slam in the sixth, Carson Tinney drove in a pair with a single, Parker Brzustewicz had an RBI double, and Nick DeMarco laced an RBI single. Noah Coy and Bino Watters, meanwhile, each collected an RBI after drawing walks with bases loaded.
North Florida plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth, but the Irish responded immediately in the top of the seventh. Brzustewicz led off with a single, and Jared Zimbardo followed suit with a single. Gumpf moved the pair up 90 feet with a deep fly out. Brzustewicz then scored on a wild pitch for the Irish. DM Jefferson then drove in Zimbardo with an RBI single. After Coy drew a walk, Bino Watters blasted the first home run of his collegiate career to put the Irish ahead 19-6.
The Ospreys put a pair of runners on base in the bottom of the seventh, but Kellan Klosterman used a pair of strikeouts to close out the game by the 19-6 final score in a run-rule shortened seven-inning win. Bino Watters went 3-for-3 with a three-run home run, four runs scored, four RBI, and three walks in the opener. Estevan Moreno added three hits with a grand slam, a double, four RBI, and three runs scored. Parker Brzustewicz collected three hits,…