AVON, Ohio - After the Notre Dame College baseball team won the first game of the day 7-4 against Fairmont State, rain started to fall on Sprenger Stadium. Game two started on time, but was delayed in the fourth inning due to the heavy precipitation. NDC won the second game 5-3 after three hours and fifteen minutes passed from the first pitch to the last. 

In the first game of the day, and third game of the series, FSU got off to a 2-0 start after the top of the third inning. Notre Dame tied it 2-2 in the bottom of the third with an RBI from Nick Farrell and Zach Santoro taking advantage on a wild pitch. The teams traded two runs each in the fourth to make it 4-4, but the Falcons were able to outlast their visitors to score two in the fifth and one more in the sixth. 

Three of NDC's final five runs were scored off two errors and a wild pitch. Lukas Thompson hit a sacrifice fly to center field while Joseph Paskell doubled down the right field line to score the other two runs.

Paskell and Santoro led the team in the first game with three hits a piece.

Josh Armbruster recovered after allowing a run in three-straight innings and gave up just three hits in the final three innings to hold FSU scoreless. Armbruster struck out five batters in his second-straight win. 

"Josh has what it takes to go all seven innings in these conference games and I was confident he would get us through the game," said head coach Len Barker. 

The second game on Saturday was similar to the first as Notre Dame took advantage of Fairmont State's mistakes and the NDC pitching went the distance. 

Ricky Phillips opened things up in the first inning with a two-RBI double to center field that scored Santoro and Drake May. Austin Barnhart drove in Ryan Kosmynka in the second to give the Falcons a 3-0 lead. 

Fairmont State wouldn't get on the board until the fourth inning scoring an unearned run, but it was the bottom of that inning that would seal the teams fate. After the first two batters from Notre Dame got out and the third batter was walked, the umpire decided to halt the game and wait for the rain to clear before continuing. Although the rain stayed through the end of the contest, it did let up enough for the teams to go back on the field and finish the game. 

Santoro was walked to join Thompson as a base runner and the two would each be advanced two bases after two wild pitches. After Thompson scored off the throw went past the catcher, Nick Farrell would then earn a trip to first on a walk. May was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Phillips would be walked to bring in Santoro and make it 5-1. 

FSU scored two in the sixth inning, but it wouldn't be enough to get out of the four-run deficit.

Kenny Pierson went the full seven innings, allowing just one earned run after going 22-straight innings without allowing one. Pierson is now 4-0 on the year with a 1.45 ERA. 

"Kenny's been hitting his spots lately and has gained some confidence over his last few starts," Barker said. "He's thrown at least six innings in all of his starts this season and I've been impressed with how he handles things on the mound. 

Phillips recorded three RBIs in game two after the bases-loaded walk. Santoro led the team in both games with two runs scored in each for a four-run day. 

"I was happy with how we played," Barker said. "We made some mistakes in the rain, but that's what happens when it's wet. Our players stayed aware throughout both games and we made plays off their mistakes. Any day you can win both games in this conference a good day."

Notre Dame will host Mercyhurst in a single game on Tuesday, April 17 at 1 p.m. at Sprenger Stadium in Avon, Ohio.