AVON, Ohio – Small-ball was the recipe to success for the Notre Dame College baseball team (8-22, 8-10 MEC) on Friday afternoon, as the Falcons swept Fairmont State University (8-24, 7-11 MEC), by the scores of 3-2 and 2-1 (in eight innings). A pitcher's duel was highlighted by NDC's third walk-off win of the season, a suicide squeeze in the bottom of the eighth inning by redshirt sophomore Maximilian Schweiger. The pair of victories jolted Notre Dame College into a tie for second place in the Mountain East Conference North Division, where the top three teams in each division receive a bid into the MEC Tournament.
 
In game one, both sides were retired in order until the FSU Falcons tallied the first run in the top of the third inning (1-0).
 
Fairmont State pushed another runner across in the top of the fifth inning behind four hits, doubling the advantage to 2-0.
 
The NDC bats came alive during the home half of the frame, as the Falcons generated three runs on four hits, to move in front 3-2. Johnathan Cook led off the inning with a single to right field, followed by a single through the left side by Tyler Shadle, positioning runners at the corners for Notre Dame. Then, Alec Mendoza drove in NDC's first run on a sacrifice fly to center field (2-1). After Nate Miller singled to second base, Hayden Parker was productive with an RBI groundout to shortstop, tying the game at 2-2. Lastly, Johnny Costella singled to bring in Miller, delivering Notre Dame a 3-2 lead.
 
Upon receiving the lead, starting pitcher Alec Mendoza locked down the Fairmont State offense, allowing just one baserunner over the final two frames to gift Notre Dame College the victory in game one. The Pickerington, Ohio native twirled seven strong innings, allowing two runs on nine hits, while punching out a career-high six batters and allowing zero walks. The redshirt junior totaled his team-leading third complete game of the season en route to his second win on the year.
 
Mendoza and the Falcons carried the momentum into game two as the Pickerington North High School product grabbed NDC's first run of the contest with an RBI triple to right field. Shadle set the Falcons up to begin the inning with a leadoff single before coming around to score (1-0).
 
On a day where runs came at a premium, Fairmont State posted a crooked during the top of the fifth inning, evening the game at 1-1.
 
Despite having runners in scoring position during the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, Notre Dame failed to break the stalemate, resulting in the Falcons fourth extra-inning game of the year.
 
However, the NDC Falcons threatened once more in the bottom of the eighth inning by loading the bases up on an error and back-to-back singles. First, Parker was aided by an FSU error to leadoff the frame, followed by Joe Prevesk and Costella laying down bunt singles. One batter later, Maximilian Schweiger stepped up to the plate and dropped the perfect suicide squeeze bunt. With Parker barreling towards home plate as the pitch was delivered, the well-placed bunt forced a tough play on the FSU first baseman, who was ultimately too late on the throw home as Parker slide in safely (2-1).
 
Reliever Devin Fish extended his scoreless streak to 12.0 straight innings, as the New Berlin, Wisc. native tossed his second consecutive outing allowing zero runs and zero hits. Fish's final line was 3.0 innings, zero runs and zero hits, while striking out one and walking one. The graduate student secured his fourth victory of the season as he moves to 4-2.
 
The Notre Dame College offense was paced by Costella and Shadle who each posted five hits on the day. The duo produced two hits apiece in game one, before an going 3-for-4 in game two. Costella set his NDC Falcon career-high in second game, as Shadle marked a season-high in the same game. Moreover, Shadle and Costella extended their hit streaks to 11 and five, respectively.
 
Damion Legaspe also tied career-high by going 2-for-3 in game two.
 
Mendoza picked up a team-high two RBI on the day (one in each game), as the team leader in RBI has driven in a run in eight of the last 10 games for NDC. The likes of Schweiger, Costella and Parker also earned RBI on the afternoon.
 
The Notre Dame College baseball team will be back in action tomorrow, Saturday Apr. 16 to conclude the four-game set with Fairmont State. A traditional MEC doubleheader will be played with first pitched slated for 1 p.m.