CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Facing a 7-6 deficit with two-outs in the top of the seventh inning, redshirt junior Alec Mendoza poked a two-run single up the middle, delivering Notre Dame College (4-18, 4-8 MEC) an 8-7 victory over the University of Charleston (22-6, 10-2 MEC) in game two. UC took game one 4-2, to split the season series on Sunday afternoon.
 
The Falcons jumped on the board first in game one, with two runs on two hits in the top of the fourth inning. A leadoff walk by Johnny Costella was followed up by a single from Sean Fernald to position runners at the corners for NDC. Two batters later, Devon Minney drove home the first run of the game with an RBI single to shortstop. After a Tyler Shadle walk, Preston Mauzy stood in for an RBI hit by pitch, doubling the Falcon advantage to 2-0.
 
Starting pitcher Erik Demchuk had a commendable outing, holding the top offense in the MEC to zero runs and only two hits over the first four innings. However, UC broke through in the bottom of the fifth inning by scoring four runs on five hits, moving in front 4-2.
 
Despite bringing the tying run to the plate in the top of the seventh inning, NDC fell to UC 4-2 in game one on Sunday afternoon.
 
In game two, Notre Dame College turned the tides, overcoming deficits of 3-1 and 7-5 to rally past Charleston and earn a series split.
 
A two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning by UC's Tyler Dellerman got the scoring started in the second contest (2-0).
 
The Falcons slashed the Golden Eagles lead in half during the top of the second inning, as Costella came around to score following a leadoff single. Redshirt sophomore Johnathan Cook roped an RBI double to right field, driving in Costella (2-1).
 
A leadoff triple and sacrifice fly during the bottom of the fourth inning allowed Charleston to extend the lead to 3-1.
 
Notre Dame began to mount their rally in the top of the fifth inning, as Shadle and Mendoza registered back-to-back singles, followed by a Mauzy walk to load the bases with one-away. After a Golden Eagles pitching change, the Falcons would tally RBI on four consecutive at bats, beginning with a Nate Miller RBI walk. Next, Parker generated an RBI single to right field, followed by Costella's RBI fielder's choice, giving NDC a 4-3 advantage. Lastly, Fernald's impressive weekend continued with an RBI single to center field, capping off a four-run fifth inning for the Falcons.
 
The game began to see-saw as the Golden Eagles responded during the home half of the frame with four runs on one hit, along with three Falcon errors to retake a 7-5 lead.
 
Notre Dame dug deep over the final two innings, tallying a run in the sixth inning on a Golden Eagle error (7-6). In the top of the seventh inning, Maximilian Schweiger opened the stanza with a productive hit by pitch to get the leadoff man aboard. Two batters later, Shadle kept the NDC dream alive with a two-out single through the left side, before stealing second base and posting the Falcons go-ahead run in scoring position. In the end, Mendoza capped off the Falcons rally with a two-out, two-run single up the middle, gifting NDC a series split on Sunday afternoon (8-7).
 
Reliever Devin Fish had strong day for the Falcons, as the graduate student appeared in both games of the doubleheader, tallying 2.1 IP, zero hits and zero runs allowed en route to the first save by an NDC Falcon this season.
 
Fellow relief pitcher Kyle Farrell added 2.1 innings of work in game two, allowing one run (zero earned runs), on two hits, while securing the win.
 
The Notre Dame College offense was led by Shadle's three-hit day, as Costella, Fernald and Mendoza each produced a pair of hits apiece.
 
Mendoza's 15^th career multi-RBI game highlighted the day for NDC, while Cook, Costella, Fernald, Mauzy, Minney, Miller and Parker all drove in a run for the Falcons.
 
The Notre Dame College baseball team will be back in action on Tuesday April 4 with a nine-inning contest scheduled for 1 p.m. against Malone University at Mercy Health Stadium in Avon, Ohio.