SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Notre Dame (14-9, 2-7 ACC) dropped the series finale to Miami (13-10, 5-4 ACC) 12-10 in extra innings. The Irish pulled out to a 7-1 lead in the fourth inning, but an eight-run inning for Miami made the difference in the eventual Irish loss. Notre Dame moved to 2-1 on the series, their first ACC series win of the season.
Sunday’s game marked Notre Dame’s first extra-inning game of the season. Notre Dame’s last game that went to extras was May 16, 2023 vs. Northwestern at Wrigley Field (8-7 loss in 11 innings).
RHP Rory Fox earned the start for the Irish, going a career-high 4.0 innings, posting three strikeouts and allowing just one run. RHP Bennett Flynn (1-1) shouldered the loss for the Irish.
OF David Glancy had the offensive play of the day, with a two-out grand slam in the bottom of the fourth to put the Irish up 7-1.
Over the course of the series, OF T.J. Williams led the starters with a .500 batting average, posting seven hits, five runs and five RBI, in addition to six putouts in center field.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Miami led off the first with a double, and after two outs and a walk, Fox faced his fifth batter with runners at first and third. A fielder’s choice to INF Jack Penney ended the inning and held Miami away from home. The Irish were retired in order in the bottom half.
Fox posted two strikeouts in the second inning, with the Canes going three up, three down. OF Tito Flores notched a two-out double in the second, but a popout kept the Irish scoreless.
In the third, Miami singled to lead off, and a bunt single placed two runners aboard. A flyout pushed the lead runner to third, and a sac fly scored Miami’s first run of the day. A groundout sent the Irish up to bat. C Carson Tinney led off the bottom of the third with a double, and INF Estevan Moreno followed with a single. Moreno reached second on a passed ball, and Williams sent an infield single to score Tinney and even the game at 1-1. Glancy drew a HBP, and INF Connor Hincks hit into a fielder’s choice to score Moreno; on the throw back to first in an attempted double play, Miami posted an error, and Williams scored. The Irish ended the inning up 3-1.
Keeping the momentum, Fox and the Irish kept Miami from scoring in the fourth, with a double play on the third batter ending the inning. Flores led off the bottom of the inning with a single, and after a strikeout, Tinney walked. Another strikeout meant two outs for the Irish, as Wiliams followed with another single to load the bases. Glancy stepped to the plate and fired a 412-foot shot for a grand slam, putting the Irish up 7-1 to end the fourth.
Miami responded in dramatic fashion in the fifth, drawing a leadoff walk and following with a single to bring two runners aboard. RHP David Lally entered in relief of Fox. A walk loaded the bases with no outs, and a HBP brought in a run. Two infield balls brought in two more runs, while a groundout scored another. Another single scored Miami’s fourth run of the inning, and RHP Nate Hardman entered to take over on the mound. Miami’s next batter homered for three runs, and the Irish went to bat down 9-7. The Irish were unable to add any runs in the fifth.
The Irish sat the Canes down in order in the sixth, with Hardman earning a strikeout for the last out. Moreno drew a walk to lead off the sixth, reaching second on a passed ball. Williams walked, and Glancy hit into a fielder’s choice, tagging out Moreno. The Irish attempted a double steal, with Glancy reaching second and Williams tagged out at third, but a flyout ended the inning.
RHP Radek Birkholz entered to pitch for the Irish in the seventh, and both sides were retired in order in the inning. In the eighth, a HBP and walk put two runners on base, and a sac bunt moved both another base. Flynn entered to pitch, and a passed ball scored another run for Miami. Flynn earned a strikeout and was able to limit the damage, as the Irish went up to bat down 10-7.
DM Jefferson entered to pinch hit and singled to lead off the eighth, and C Joey Spence also entered to hit a single. After a strikeout, a Williams double scored Jefferson to pull within two. Glancy fired his second home run to even the score, his second homer of the day.
Both teams were held scoreless in the ninth to send the game to extra innings. Miami led off the 10th inning by drawing a walk, the runner getting to second on a wild pitch and a sac bunt moving him to third. A single drove in Miami’s go-ahead run, and after another single, a sac fly scored an insurance run to put Miami up 12-10. Williams posted a two-out single in the 10th, but a strikeout ended the game with Notre Dame’s first home loss.
UP NEXT
Notre Dame will host Bowling Green on Tuesday, March 26, for a midweek game at 4:30 p.m. ET. The Irish will then head to Raleigh for a three-game series at NC State March 28-30. Thursday’s and Saturday’s games will be broadcast on ACCNX, while Friday’s game will be nationally televised on ACC Network.