Austin Temple and Will Mercer tag-teamed for eight strong innings on the mound as No. 8 Notre Dame moved into a virtual tie for first place in the Atlantic Division of the ACC Saturday with an 8-1 victory over Pittsburgh at ND’s Frank Eck Stadium.
The Irish (31-10, 15-8) lead Louisville (35-14-1, 16-9-1) by percentage points after the Cardinals fell 4-3 at Virginia Tech on Saturday. There are four ACC games left for each contender, with the Irish visiting Coastal Division leader Miami next weekend and Louisville hosting Virginia — after finishing up their respective current series on Sunday.
The Irish, going for the sweep of the Panthers (26-22, 12-13) Sunday at noon ET, are 17-3-1 in ACC series over the past two-plus seasons under coach Link Jarrett.
Temple went 4 ⅔ innings allowing three hits, four walks and an unearned run while striking out a career-high 10 batters. Mercer relieved in the fifth, with runners on first and second, and the Irish leading 2-1.
The senior lefty got Pitt cleanup hitter Ron Washington Jr. to line out to shortstop Zack Prajzner to end the threat.
Mercer (1-1) hurled three more scoreless innings to pick up the win, allowing two hits and striking out three in one of his most effective outings of the season. Matt Bedford walked a batter in the ninth but struck out the side to finish up.
The 7-8-9 spots in the Irish lineup combined for six of ND’s 12 hits, four runs scored and three RBIs. The original No. 7 hitter, second baseman Jared Miller, left the game with an apparent wrist injury.
Jack Penney was 2-for-2 with a run scored in his place. David LaManna and Prazjner each collected two hits and scored two runs.
Pitt starter Billy Corcoran (7-4), a junior right-hander drafted out of high school by the Texas Rangers, was charged with seven earned runs, the first time this season he has given up more than three to an ACC team in a game.
BOX SCORE
The Irish (31-10, 15-8) lead Louisville (35-14-1, 16-9-1) by percentage points after the Cardinals fell 4-3 at Virginia Tech on Saturday. There are four ACC games left for each contender, with the Irish visiting Coastal Division leader Miami next weekend and Louisville hosting Virginia — after finishing up their respective current series on Sunday.
The Irish, going for the sweep of the Panthers (26-22, 12-13) Sunday at noon ET, are 17-3-1 in ACC series over the past two-plus seasons under coach Link Jarrett.
Temple went 4 ⅔ innings allowing three hits, four walks and an unearned run while striking out a career-high 10 batters. Mercer relieved in the fifth, with runners on first and second, and the Irish leading 2-1.
The senior lefty got Pitt cleanup hitter Ron Washington Jr. to line out to shortstop Zack Prajzner to end the threat.
Mercer (1-1) hurled three more scoreless innings to pick up the win, allowing two hits and striking out three in one of his most effective outings of the season. Matt Bedford walked a batter in the ninth but struck out the side to finish up.
The 7-8-9 spots in the Irish lineup combined for six of ND’s 12 hits, four runs scored and three RBIs. The original No. 7 hitter, second baseman Jared Miller, left the game with an apparent wrist injury.
Jack Penney was 2-for-2 with a run scored in his place. David LaManna and Prazjner each collected two hits and scored two runs.
Pitt starter Billy Corcoran (7-4), a junior right-hander drafted out of high school by the Texas Rangers, was charged with seven earned runs, the first time this season he has given up more than three to an ACC team in a game.
BOX SCORE
