LAKELAND, FL – Notre Dame's final day in Florida brought a few curveballs as NDC was originally scheduled to play Grand Valley State on Saturday afternoon, however inclement weather altered the contest. Instead, Notre Dame (4-11) ended up facing Northern State University (5-6) on Saturday evening, with the Wolves prevailing 6-4 in extra innings.
The Falcons opened up the scoring in the bottom of the second inning, led off by a
Tyler Shadle single.
Aaron Miller drew a walk and
Michael Zeuli was hit by a pitch to eventually load the bases for
Joe Prevesk. Prevesk answered the bell with a two RBI single, plating Shadle and Miller and pushing NDC on top 2-0.
Zeuli generated a walk in the fourth inning, and ended up scoring after a
Ben Ross RBI double, allowing NDC to move ahead 3-0.
In the very next inning,
Nick Farrell,
Kyle Espineli and
Alec Mendoza traded back-to-back-to-back singles to push another Falcon across home plate (4-0). Mendoza plated Farrell to add to Notre Dame's advantage.
However, in the top of the sixth, the Wolves would eventually catch on to NDC ace,
Austin Mora. Mora had enjoyed five strong innings of work, allowing only two hits and no earned runs to this point, but after two, two-run singles, the contest was quickly knotted at 4-4. Mora exited after 5.1 innings, allowing seven hits and four earned runs, while striking out three and walking one.
Jesse Clark would enter and polish off the sixth inning for Notre Dame holding the Wolves at bay. Next,
Devin Fish entered the contest for NDC and pitched lights out. Fish tossed three innings of scoreless relief, allowing three hits and sending down two. The contest would remain even at 4-4 into extra innings.
A. Miller got the nod in extra innings to hold down the game for Notre Dame. Miller worked a scoreless tenth and 11
th inning, before the Wolves eventually broke the six inning-long stalemate with a pair of runs in the top of the 12
th. Notre Dame would threaten with the tying run at the plate during the home half of the 12
th but Northern State would hold on, 6-4.
Ross paced the NDC offense with a double and a triple on the night, as N. Farrell and Mendoza tallied two hits as well, while five other Falcons generated a hit. In addition, Ross, Mendoza and Prevesk (2) were credited with Notre Dame's RBIs during the contest.
Notre Dame will be back in action on Saturday and Sunday Mar. 19-20 for the beginning of Mountain East Conference play. NDC will host West Virginia State for a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 1:00 p.m., before turning around for a doubleheader against the University of Charleston at Mercy Health Stadium on Sunday starting at 1:00 p.m.