MIAMI, Fla. – Notre Dame (4-0) hit four home runs on the way to a series-opening win over FIU (3-2) Friday. OF T.J. Williams led the way with two home runs, the first multi-home run game of his career. RHP Bennett Flynn (1-0) earned the win after an impressive relief performance, notably entering with one out and the bases loaded in the sixth inning and striking the next two batters out.
On the night, Williams went 2-3 with three runs, four RBI, and a walk in addition to his two home runs. Williams is the first Irish player to hit two home runs in one game since Carter Putz on April 30, 2023, vs. Florida State (12-8 win). OF David Glancy and INF Connor Hincks also added homers, Glancy’s third of the season and Hincks’ second.
RHP Caden Spivey started on the mound for Notre Dame, posting three strikeouts through three innings. RHP Radek Birkholz entered for 2.1 innings, notching four strikeouts. Flynn totaled two strikeouts in 1.2 innings of work, and RHP Rory Fox entered to close it out for Notre Dame, pitching two innings with two strikeouts.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both teams went scoreless in the first, each leaving a runner on base. In the second, after a strikeout to lead off, Connor Hincks drew a walk, and after another strikeout, Carson Tinney singled to push Hincks to third. Williams stepped to the plate and delivered a three-run shot, his first home run of the year, to put the Irish up 3-0. In the bottom half, a walk and a double put two on base with two outs, but Spivey struck out the last batter to hold FIU scoreless.
In the third, INF Jack Penney singled with one out. OF Tito Flores singled to right center, and Penney turned on the jets to score all the way from first. INF Simon Baumgardt doubled, pushing Flores to third. Hincks walked to load the bases, and INF Estevan Moreno delivered a fly foul ball. FIU snagged the out, but Moreno earned the sac fly and RBI, as Flores got home on the out. A subsequent wild pitch brought Baumgardt home, and the Irish ended the top half with three runs scored.
In the bottom of the third, the Irish allowed two runners on base, and FIU scored on an error for their first run of the game. FIU later again scored, on a fielder’s choice, and the third ended with a 6-2 score.
Williams walked to lead off the fourth, reaching second on a groundout. He stole third, and Glancy walked to put two on base. With two outs, Glancy attempted a steal to draw the infield’s attention, and Williams scored on the pickle before Glancy was tagged out.
Birkholz entered to start the bottom of the fourth, and struck out all three batters, preserving the 7-2 lead.
Both sides went three up, three down in the fifth, with Birkholz adding another strikeout to close the fifth. After two outs in the sixth, Williams hit his second home run of the game to put the Irish up 8-2. In the bottom of the inning, FIU sent a two-run homer out of the park with no outs. After a foul-out, FIU loaded the bases, and Flynn entered to pitch. He struck the next two batters out with bases loaded to remain at 8-4 entering the seventh.
In the seventh, Glancy led off with a single and was tagged out on a fielder’s choice. Penney stole second, and Flores walked. Penney stole third, and Hincks homered to score three. Flynn and the Irish sat all three batters down in the bottom of the seventh to remain 11-4.
In the eighth, with two outs, DH DM Jefferson walked and stole second before Glancy homered to score both and put the Irish at 13 runs. Fox entered at pitcher for the Irish to begin the bottom of the inning, and posted two strikeouts as FIU went three up, three down.
Notre Dame went scoreless in the ninth, while a double play and fly-out ended the game and secured the Irish win.
UP NEXT
Notre Dame and FIU return to the diamond Saturday for a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. ET. Games will not be broadcast, but live stats will be available at fightingirish.com/mediastats.