AUBURNDALE, Fla.- Trailing 5-1 after seven innings the Notre Dame College baseball team nearly came back to win against Findlay, but ultimately fell 8-7 on Wednesday morning to move its record to 3-7. 

Runs started coming in for both teams in the fourth inning as the Oilers scored three and the Falcons responded with one of their own. Zach Santoro brought in TJ Lett on a single up the middle. 

Findlay scored two more in the sixth inning before NDC was able to get things going on the offensive end. In the bottom of the eighth Jacob Carpenter drove in two runs on a single to center field to bring the score to 5-3. Carpenter's single also placed Nick Ely on third base who would then score a run on a balk by the Oiler pitcher to make it a one run game. 

Unfortunately for the Falcons, UF responded in the ninth inning with three runs of its own to increase the lead to 8-4. But Notre Dame wasn't going down without a fight. Lett brought in the first run in the last inning for the Falcons and put a second runner on base for Ely. With a 3-2 count and two outs, Ely kept his team alive with a two-run single to bring in Lett and Dominic Lombardo who combined for five runs on the day. 

The score once again was within one run, but time had run out for NDC as the next batter grounded out. 

Ely, Lett and Santoro each recorded two hits against the Oilers while Ely and Carpenter each drove in two runs. On the mound, Carter Daniels struck out four batters in his second start. The Falcons utilized six pitchers in the game, four of which combined for three innings with no runs allowed.

Notre Dame will play tomorrow, March 9,  against Grand Valley State at 4 p.m. before playing in the final Florida games on March 11 in a doubleheader against Ohio Dominican.