AVON, Ohio - A big fifth inning helped the Notre Dame College baseball team win a tight 8-7 contest against Lake Erie on Wednesday afternoon. The Falcons scored six runs in the bottom of the fifth to push them past the Lakers and give NDC a 6-5 advantage in the teams' series history. 

Lake Erie opened the game with a run in the first inning to get on the board early before Notre Dame tied things up 1-1 in the third with a Drake May single to right field that scored Austin Barnhart. 

Eight total runs were scored in the fifth inning, but it in favor of NDC 6-2. After the Lakers scored two to go up 3-1, the Falcons got hot and scored six runs, one-by-one to take a 7-3 lead. Six different players in the inning recorded an RBI for NDC. Ricky Phillips, who batted in the second run of the fifth inning, also brought in a run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly to right field to give his team a five-run lead. Both times Phillips recorded an RBI, it was Lukas Thompson who scored. 

Lake Erie scored the final four runs of the game, but they failed to dig themselves out of the hole and lost 8-7. 

Thompson, Phillips and Zach Santoro led the team with two hits each while Thompson and Barnhart each scored two runs. Seven different players recorded an RBI.

On the mound, James Holle struck out two batters while pitching the first five innings to earn his first collegiate victory. Devon Robb and Kenny Pierson threw relief as Pierson earned the save. 

Notre Dame will play a four-game series against Shepherd this weekend in Hudson, Ohio. The first doubleheader on Saturday, April 28, will begin at 2:30 p.m.