AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Notre Dame College baseball team won two of its first three games on Thursday and Friday to improve to 4-6 on the season.
On Thursday, the Falcons beat undefeated Wayne State. The Warriors were previously 8-0 before NDC's comeback win. After four innings, WSU led 3-0, but Notre Dame scored four runs in the final five innings to win 4-3.
Joseph Paskell and
Drake May each batted in a run in the fifth and sixth inning, respectively. In the seventh,
Zach Santoro and
Nick Farrell each brought in a run.
Rick Phillips scored a run in both the sixth and seventh innings.
On the mound,
Kenny Pierson threw the first six innings, striking out seven batters.
Kevin Guzik and
Todd Marshall came in to close things out. Guzik was credited with the victory while Marshall was earned a save.
Guzik also pitched one inning in the team's win on Friday morning against Gannon. In his two innings, he has not allowed a walk or hit. He came in against Wayne State after
Ty Shoaff started the game.
Shoaff went six innings to earn the win. He struck out seven batters on his way to his first victory with Notre Dame.
Offensively, the Falcons played well. But it was Gannon's mistakes that allowed NDC to score big and win 6-2. Phillips started things off in the third inning with a triple to center field that brought in
Lukas Thompson. Santoro then batted in Phillips with a single to left field.
Gannon tied the game up 2-2 with runs in the second and fourth innings. Notre Dame then scored four runs in the fifth innings to put the game in its favor. Paskell scored two base runners with a single to right field.
The first five batters in the lineup on Friday morning scored at least one run.
In Friday's second game against Gannon, it was the Golden Knights who made a comeback. GU scored three in the sixth inning to win 4-3.
Notre Dame got off to a 3-1 lead after both teams scored one in the first inning and the Falcons scored two in the fourth.
The Falcons are off tomorrow, but return to play with a single game against Ashland on Sunday, March 10, at 1:15 p.m. NDC ends its trip to Florida with two doubleheaders on Monday and Tuesday, March 11 and 12.