Notre Dame baseball extended its win streak to five on Tuesday by defeating Purdue 11-2 in its home opener at Frank Eck Stadium. It also marked the fourth consecutive game where the Irish scored double-digit runs.
In the victory, infielder Estevan Moreno made history by becoming the first player in program history to hit three homers in three different games.
Moreno's homers came in the bottom of the third, sixth and eighth innings. Moreno's homer in the sixth was timely, as the Irish held just a 3-2 lead entering the inning.
Just before Moreno homered in the sixth, the Irish also got a scoring punch from outfielder Brady Gumpf. The senior out of South Bend St. Joeseph hit a double and sent infielders Simon Baumgardt and Connor Hincks in for scores to put the Irish up 5-2. Moreno's homer also sent Gumpf in for a score.
After its four-run sixth inning, Notre Dame kept its foot on the pedal by scoring three more runs in the seventh inning. Outfielder DM Jefferson connected on a triple that resulted in infielder Jack Penney scoring. On the next at-bat, Hincks hit another triple that sent Jefferson to home plate for a score. The Irish finished the inning off with a Hincks score after outfielder Tito Flores hit a single to left field.
Right-handed pitcher Matt Bedford received the start on the mound and finished with 30 strikeouts while allowing two hits and no runs in three innings pitched. Each of Purdue's two runs came in the fifth inning against right-handed pitcher Radek Birkholz, who was replaced by right-handed pitcher Bennett Flynn at the top of the sixth inning.
Purdue senior catcher Connor Caskenette hit a two-RBI single off Birkholz that accounted for scores from Boilmakers outfielder Mike Bolton Jr. and infielder Ty Gill.
In his three innings pitched, Flynn allowed one hit, a single from Boilmakers junior infielder Logan Sutter, in the eighth. Flynn was substituted for right-handed pitcher Sammy Cooper at the top of the ninth, who closed for the Irish. Cooper allowed two hits on the mound but threw a strikeout before Caskenette hit a fly ball that resulted in a third out.
The Irish (9-2) return to the diamond at Virginia Tech (8-3) on Friday for the start of a three-game weekend series. Friday's game is slated for 4 p.m. EST
FINAL STATS
In the victory, infielder Estevan Moreno made history by becoming the first player in program history to hit three homers in three different games.
Moreno's homers came in the bottom of the third, sixth and eighth innings. Moreno's homer in the sixth was timely, as the Irish held just a 3-2 lead entering the inning.
Just before Moreno homered in the sixth, the Irish also got a scoring punch from outfielder Brady Gumpf. The senior out of South Bend St. Joeseph hit a double and sent infielders Simon Baumgardt and Connor Hincks in for scores to put the Irish up 5-2. Moreno's homer also sent Gumpf in for a score.
After its four-run sixth inning, Notre Dame kept its foot on the pedal by scoring three more runs in the seventh inning. Outfielder DM Jefferson connected on a triple that resulted in infielder Jack Penney scoring. On the next at-bat, Hincks hit another triple that sent Jefferson to home plate for a score. The Irish finished the inning off with a Hincks score after outfielder Tito Flores hit a single to left field.
Right-handed pitcher Matt Bedford received the start on the mound and finished with 30 strikeouts while allowing two hits and no runs in three innings pitched. Each of Purdue's two runs came in the fifth inning against right-handed pitcher Radek Birkholz, who was replaced by right-handed pitcher Bennett Flynn at the top of the sixth inning.
Purdue senior catcher Connor Caskenette hit a two-RBI single off Birkholz that accounted for scores from Boilmakers outfielder Mike Bolton Jr. and infielder Ty Gill.
In his three innings pitched, Flynn allowed one hit, a single from Boilmakers junior infielder Logan Sutter, in the eighth. Flynn was substituted for right-handed pitcher Sammy Cooper at the top of the ninth, who closed for the Irish. Cooper allowed two hits on the mound but threw a strikeout before Caskenette hit a fly ball that resulted in a third out.
The Irish (9-2) return to the diamond at Virginia Tech (8-3) on Friday for the start of a three-game weekend series. Friday's game is slated for 4 p.m. EST
FINAL STATS
