Two days after Notre Dame completed a three-game sweep of No. 8 Virginia, the Irish allowed Michigan State to sweep its season series with ND.
The home Spartans beat Notre Dame on Tuesday by a 12-5 margin after winning in 11 innings at Notre Dame on April 11.
Notre Dame (23-16) squandered a three-run lead to start the game and a two-run rally to tie the game in the sixth inning with a disastrous seventh inning.
With the game tied at five in the bottom of the seventh, Notre Dame reliever Matt Bedford allowed the first two batters to reach base with a walk and a single. Righty Ryan Lynch replaced Bedford and struck out the first hitter he faced. But then Lynch walked the next batter to the load the bases. A Lynch wild pitch allowed Michigan State to score the go-head run.
Michigan State's runs kept coming with Jack Frank's two-run single. A two-run triple by Casey Mayes knocked Lynch out of the game. Sammy Cooper allowed an RBI single to the first batter he faced, Sam Thompson. He recovered to force a pair of fly outs to end the inning, but the Spartans had already taken an 11-5 lead.
Michigan State added a 12th run in the bottom of the eighth with a bases-loaded, RBI fielders' choice by Greg Ziegler.
Two of Notre Dame's three runs in the first inning came unearned after first baseman Carter Putz started the scoring with an RBI double. Putz later scored on a fielding error by starting pitcher Robert Klann. Second baseman Estevan Moreno plated third baseman Jack Penney with an RBI fielder's choice.
The game-tying runs in the sixth came courtesy of an RBI triple by left fielder DM Jefferson and an RBI sacrifice fly by right fielder Brady Gumpf to score Jefferson.
Each of Notre Dame's first four pitchers Tuesday allowed at least two earned runs. Starter David Lally Jr. lasted 1 2/3 innings while allowing three hits, three walks and two earned runs. Right-handed Ricky Reeth allowed four walks, two wild pitches and three earned runs on one hit. Bedford was saddled with the loss for allowing two earned runs in the seventh. Lynch recorded just one out while allowing four earned runs, three hits, two wild pitches and one walk.
Michigan State's decision to pull Klann in the first inning paid off nicely. Reliever Harrison Cook went 4 1/3 scoreless innings as Michigan State took its first lead. After Gavin Sitarz allowed Notre Dame to tie the game, Andrew Carson escaped with no runs allowed despite recording as many walks (three) as outs. Wyatt Rush took the win with three scoreless innings to end the game.
Notre Dame (11-10 ACC) will resume conference play Friday with a three-game weekend series at home against Florida State (14-25, 5-16 ACC) and former coach Link Jarrett.
Box score: MSU 12, ND 5
The home Spartans beat Notre Dame on Tuesday by a 12-5 margin after winning in 11 innings at Notre Dame on April 11.
Notre Dame (23-16) squandered a three-run lead to start the game and a two-run rally to tie the game in the sixth inning with a disastrous seventh inning.
With the game tied at five in the bottom of the seventh, Notre Dame reliever Matt Bedford allowed the first two batters to reach base with a walk and a single. Righty Ryan Lynch replaced Bedford and struck out the first hitter he faced. But then Lynch walked the next batter to the load the bases. A Lynch wild pitch allowed Michigan State to score the go-head run.
Michigan State's runs kept coming with Jack Frank's two-run single. A two-run triple by Casey Mayes knocked Lynch out of the game. Sammy Cooper allowed an RBI single to the first batter he faced, Sam Thompson. He recovered to force a pair of fly outs to end the inning, but the Spartans had already taken an 11-5 lead.
Michigan State added a 12th run in the bottom of the eighth with a bases-loaded, RBI fielders' choice by Greg Ziegler.
Two of Notre Dame's three runs in the first inning came unearned after first baseman Carter Putz started the scoring with an RBI double. Putz later scored on a fielding error by starting pitcher Robert Klann. Second baseman Estevan Moreno plated third baseman Jack Penney with an RBI fielder's choice.
The game-tying runs in the sixth came courtesy of an RBI triple by left fielder DM Jefferson and an RBI sacrifice fly by right fielder Brady Gumpf to score Jefferson.
Each of Notre Dame's first four pitchers Tuesday allowed at least two earned runs. Starter David Lally Jr. lasted 1 2/3 innings while allowing three hits, three walks and two earned runs. Right-handed Ricky Reeth allowed four walks, two wild pitches and three earned runs on one hit. Bedford was saddled with the loss for allowing two earned runs in the seventh. Lynch recorded just one out while allowing four earned runs, three hits, two wild pitches and one walk.
Michigan State's decision to pull Klann in the first inning paid off nicely. Reliever Harrison Cook went 4 1/3 scoreless innings as Michigan State took its first lead. After Gavin Sitarz allowed Notre Dame to tie the game, Andrew Carson escaped with no runs allowed despite recording as many walks (three) as outs. Wyatt Rush took the win with three scoreless innings to end the game.
Notre Dame (11-10 ACC) will resume conference play Friday with a three-game weekend series at home against Florida State (14-25, 5-16 ACC) and former coach Link Jarrett.
Box score: MSU 12, ND 5
