AVON, Ohio – Pitching ruled the night in a split between Notre Dame and Walsh on Friday night, with the Falcons winning, 9-0, and the Cavaliers coming away with a 4-1 victory. (Gm-1 | Gm-2)

The games for Notre Dame (22-20, 5-13 American Mideast ) marked the final home contests of the season for the Falcons , who will close out their 2011 campaign on Saturday at Walsh, completing a two-day, four-game home-and-home series with the Cavaliers (18-27, 4-14).

In the opener, the Falcons scored early and often against left-hander Eric Shimko, who came into the game with a 1.50 ERA. NDC touched up Shimko for seven runs (five earned) over two innings. The Blue & White tallied four runs in the first, two in the second and two in the third. Notre Dame had a four-hit outburst in the first. #Benji Jarabeck# tripled to knock in three of those runs.

Those runs and the four that ensued were more than enough for starter #Simon Davis#, who was brilliant in a bounce-back effort off his worst start of the season (allowing eight runs in 4-2/3 at Point Park-Pa. on April 21). The sophomore port-sider cruised, allowing just five singles over seven innings. He walked two and fanned four in lowing his season ERA to 1.86.

He was equaled on the night by Walsh right-hander David Roper, who countered with a complete-game win of his own in the nightcap. Roper allowed seven singles and just one run in the 4-1 Cavalier victory.

#Pat Ross# and #Tony Younis# each rapped out four hits on the night to lead the NDC offense. The Falcons and Cavaliers went a combined 5-for-27 with runners in scoring position.

Notre Dame and Walsh will cap off the season with a twin bill in North Canton, Ohio, on Saturday (start time 1