SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Notre Dame (16-18) held on for a 7-6 win over Valparaiso (11-23), staving off a ninth-inning comeback attempt from the Beacons to improve to 6-4 at home.
INF Connor Hincks led the Irish at the plate, nearly hitting for the cycle with a single, triple and home run, posting three RBI. He also added another fielding double play to his season total of 29.
RHP D.J. Helwig (1-0) made his first-career start and earned his first-career win on a bullpen day, as RHP Nate Hardman notched his fourth save of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both sides went three up, three down in the first inning, as Helwig notched two strikeouts in his half.
Valparaiso led off the second with a walk, singling to place two on base. Helwig struck out another, and a double steal attempt resulted in the second out. INF Simon Baumgardt grabbed a foul-out to send the Irish to bat in the second.
After a groundout to lead off for the Irish, Hincks singled, followed immediately by a Baumgardt single. DH Tito Flores walked to load the bases, and OF Brady Gumpf singled to bring in Notre Dame’s first run with Hincks. After a flyout, OF T.J. Williams singled to bring in two more runs, as Flores and Baumgardt scored. A walk by OF David Glancy loaded the bases, but a lineout ended the inning with a 3-0 Notre Dame lead.
Helwig and the Irish held Valparaiso scoreless again in the third, allowing just a single in the half. Notre Dame batters were retired in order in the bottom of the third.
RHP Bennett Flynn entered to begin the fourth inning on the mound for Notre Dame, holding Valparaiso scoreless and allowing a hit. The Irish again went down in order in the fourth.
In the fifth, Valpo delivered a one-out single and drew a walk to place two runners on base. A passed ball put both in scoring position. Flynn dealt a strikeout, but a subsequent single scored two runs for the Beacons. A popup ended the top half to preserve an Irish lead at 3-2. In the bottom of the fifth, Williams led off with a single and stole second. A flyout allowed Williams to take third, and INF Jack Penney singled to bring Williams home. After another flyout, Hincks tripled and scored Penney, allowing the Irish to take a 5-2 lead into the sixth.
RHP Ricky Reeth took the mound in the sixth, and Valpo started the inning off strong with a double and subsequent single to bring in a run, but a Penney-INF Estevan Moreno-Hincks double play, and a groundout, ended the scoring push. Gumpf and Williams added singles in the sixth, but the Irish were held from scoring, sending the game to the seventh at 5-3.
The Beacons added a double in the seventh, but Reeth posted a strikeout and the Irish went to bat with the 5-3 lead. Moreno drew a leadoff walk, and Hincks homered to score both for Notre Dame. After two popups, Gumpf doubled, but a foul-out ended the inning with the Irish up 7-3.
In the eighth, RHP Sammy Cooper entered to pitch, and struck out the leadoff batter. After a groundout, Valpo earned two walks and a single to load the bases. Williams grabbed a flyout to end the inning and strand all three on base. In the bottom of the eighth, Glancy delivered a one-out single, but a double play ended the inning.
Two HBP opened the ninth for Valparaiso, and Hardman took the mound in relief. After a strikeout, the Beacons homered to pull within one run of the Irish. However, Gumpf took care of the next two batters on flyouts to secure the 7-6 win.
UP NEXT
The Irish host the Mastodons of Purdue Fort Wayne Wednesday at Frank Eck Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET, and the game will be broadcast on ACCNX.