EUCLID, Ohio -- Seven days after John Carroll and Notre Dame engaged in a slugfest in University Heights, the two teams exchanged blows and combined for 42 runs on 44 hits, including 10 homeruns, as John Carroll used a ninth inning rally to sweep the season series with a 22-20 victory. (Box)

Notre Dame (20-11, 7-5) has now lost six out of their last seven games since their seven game winning streak, and they've allowed 55 runs over their last two games. For the Blue Streaks (12-7), the victory marked their fifth in their last six games, and completes a two game sweep of the Falcons this season.

The two teams combined to score 16 runs on 16 hits, including five homeruns over the first two innings. Brian Benander singled through the left side of the infield to score John Skomra and Ryan Pacyga came home on Tom Hickey's base hit to give John Carroll a 2-0 lead. Notre Dame answered quickly in the home half of the first. Singles from #Ryan Weaver# and #Tony Younis# followed a walk from #Pat Ross# to load the bases for #Brett Zientarski#. The Vermillion, Ohio, native sent Joe Bossard's pitch sailing over the wall in right center field, for his second homerun of the season, a grand slam that put the Falcons in front 4-2.

Down just a pair, the John Carroll offense went to work right away in the top of the second inning, and used a pair of homeruns to regain the lead. Benander smashed a grand slam off #Chris Willoughby# to give the Blue Streaks the lead again, and Tom Hickey knocked Willoughby out of the game with a two-run shot. The Falcon offense remained hot, and tied the game with a four-run second inning. Ross started the inning with a double down the left field line and scored on Younis's second single of the night. Zientarski followed Younis with his second homer of the evening, a two-run blast to pull the Falcons within one, and Jesse Bartle capped the big frame with a solo blast, his third of the season.

John Carroll took the lead for a third time, by plating six runs in the fourth inning. Homeruns from Tom Hickey and Aaron Miller highlighted the big inning for the Blue Streaks, but the momentum quickly shifted back in favor of the Falcons, as they did JCU one better by scoring seven in the fourth inning. Younis got the party started with solo homerun, his third of the season, and #Travis Brown# belted a two-run bomb just a few batters later. #Jon Koepf# singled home the next two runs, and Weaver drove in the next two on a double off the wall in left.

Zientarski's third homerun of the night snapped a 15-15 tie in the bottom of the fifth inning, but John Carroll regained the lead by plating a pair in the sixth inning. Notre Dame came right back and scored three times in the sixth to go up 19-17. Weaver's sacrifice fly scored the first run of the inning, while Younis and Brown brought in the final two on run scoring singles. Zientarski came very close to homering for a fourth time, but he hit the base of the wall in left center field and drove in Notre Dame's 20th run on a double in the bottom fo the eighth.

John Carroll batted around and scored five times in the ninth inning to steal the victory from Notre Dame. #Mike Szabo# had retired the first seven batters he faced, and struck out the first six, but the Blue Streaks got to him in the ninth. Tom Hickey and Ryan Konsler belted back-to-back two-run doubles and John Hastings smacked an RBI single to conclude the rally.

Zientarski had a monster game for the Falcons, going 5-for-5, with three homeruns and eight RBI. Eight players in the starting lineup hit safely multiple times, and scored at least once, while five players scored multiple times. Younis also had a big day, as he recorded four hits, scored four runs and drove in three. Weaver had three hits on the night and knocked in three runs. The 20 runs scored on Tuesday night, were the most in a single game for the Falcons since March 9, 2007, when they defeated Cincinnati Christian 21-1.

John Moeschberger (1-0) got the victory after allowing a run on three hits over two and a third innings pitched, while Michael Eden (1) pitched a perfect ninth inning to get the save. Szabo (1-2) was tagged with the loss after allowing four runs on two hits over two and a third.

The Falcons will return to American Mideast Conference play on Friday, April 9, at Paul Serra Field, when they welcome Mount Vernon to town. The first pitch in game one of Friday's doubleheader is scheduled for 2 p.m.


NOTES FROM THE NEST

ROSS RUNS WILD: Ross entered the week as the AMC's leader in both stolen bases (11) and runs scored. Ross scored four times on Tuesday night, giving him 38 runs on the season.

TRIPLE YOUR FUN: Brown's three triples on the season, are tied for second most in the AMC. His 25 RBI are tied with Zientarski for the most on the team.

FLY FLY AWAY: Notre Dame hit six homeruns on Tuesday night, giving them 16 on the season.