Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
AVON, Ohio -- The Notre Dame Falcons split a home double header at All Pro Freight Stadium on Saturday afternoon against Fairmont State, with a 3-2 loss in game one, before taking game two, 6-1.
Notre Dame (18-17, 11-7 MEC) improved their record to 8-3 at home with the split, while Fairmont State (16-20, 6-12 MEC) has now lost three of their last four away from home.
Game One
Fairmont State fired the first shot, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning, and added another in the top of the third to take a 2-0 advantage.
The Falcons were able to tie things up with a pair of runs on four hits in the bottom of the fourth.
Julio Rosales started the inning with a single through the right side, and
Nick Ely followed with a base hit to put runners on first and second.
TJ Lett laid a sacrifice bunt down to move both base runners over, and
Hank Beasore brought them both in on a game tying two-run single to right.
Fairmont State scored the game winning run in the top of the seventh, on a one-out RBI single from Adam Meeker.
Keifer Quick kept the bottom of the seventh inning alive on a two-out single, and made his way to third on a single from Rosales. However, with the tying run on third, the Falcons were not able to extend the game, as Fairmont State's Nick Opferman (4-1) was able to record the final out on a groundout to preserve the victory.
Jake Welch (6-3) pitched well, despite taking the loss. He went the distance, allowing three runs on eight hits and fanned four along the way.
Quick, Rosales, Beasore and Ely all hit safely twice for the Falcons, as they produced 10 hits altogether.
Game Two
Danny Beaver began the home half of the first inning with a triple down the right field line. Two batters late, Beaver scored on
Ross Barker's RBI single to right.
Notre Dame struck again in the bottom of the second with a two-out rally.
Jake Kirsh started it with a single to right, and
Austin Barnhart followed with a single to put Kirsh on third. Beaver then delivered a clutch, two-out RBI single to center to score Kirsh.
Beaver reached on an error to start the fourth inning, before stealing second and making his way to third on an errant throw. Moments later, Rosales brought him home on a RBI single to right.
Fairmont State scored their lone run in the top of the sixth inning, on a solo homer from Alex Levitan.
In the seventh, the Falcons added three more runs on three hits.
Travis Smetana walked with one out, and he came around to score on a RBI double from Kirsh. Later in the inning with the bases loaded, Fairmont State brought one of their outfielders in to give them five infielders, but despite that, the Falcons still able to score on back-to-back infield singles. Rosales delivered first on an infield single to score Kirsh and Barker followed with a single that didn't leave the infield, scoring Barnhart in the process.
Josh Armbruster (6-2) scored the victory for the Falcons, allowing just one run on four hits over eight innings of action.
The top of the order was responsible for seven of Notre Dame's 14 hits in the contest. Beaver and Rosales each had a pair of hits, while Barker led the way for the Falcons, going 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI's. He has now driven in a run in six of his last seven games. Kirsh also hit safely twice, going 2-for-5 with a pair of runs scored.
Notre Dame and Fairmont State will wrap up their weekend series on Sunday, April 17 at All Pro Freight Stadium. The first pitch in game one is scheduled for 1 p.m.
