WHEELING, W.Va. – The Notre Dame College offense exploded for 21 runs on 21 hits Saturday afternoon, taking down Wheeling University (16-14, 7-9 MEC) twice in extra-innings, 7-6 (in 10 innings) and 14-11 (in eight innings). Redshirt junior Tyler Shadle drove in five runs on the day, including tying a career-high with three in game one. In addition, freshman Zachary Kakos registered a career-high three RBI in game two, while redshirt sophomore Johnathan Cook notched a career-high with three hits in the second game.
 
NDC started the scoring in game one with two runs on one hit in the top of the third inning. Alec Mendoza poked an RBI single to right field, scoring Costella who reached on a walk (1-0). The Falcons added another run during a double steal a few pitches later, as Mendoza and Cook swiped bags for Notre Dame (2-0).
 
Wheeling tallied their first runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, scoring three runs on four hits to move in front 3-2.
 
The Cardinals added another run during the bottom of the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly (4-2).
 
A patient Notre Dame team quickly responded in the top of the sixth inning, scoring four runs on one hit, while drawing six walks. Bill Reaume, Damion Legaspe and Costella loaded the bases via free passes, before Cook drove in a run on another walk (4-3). Following WU's second pitching change of the frame, Shadle jolted a two-out, two-run single to left field, gifting NDC a 5-4 advantage. Before the inning ended, Hayden Parker earned an RBI following another walk (6-4).
 
During the home half of the inning, WU tied the contest at 6-6, as both sides went in order in the seventh, pushing the game into extra-innings.
 
Graduate student Devin Fish stepped up for Notre Dame College out of the bullpen, tossing 4.2 innings of scoreless baseball. The New Berlin, Wis. native locked down the Cardinals allowing only one hit and striking out three during the extra frames.
 
Fish set the stage for NDC to break through in the top of the 10^th inning, grabbing his third victory of the year. The righthander had found his groove, as he has allowed just one run on four hits over his last 10.2 innings pitched.
 
In the 10^th inning, Legaspe drew a leadoff walk, his second of the game. Next, Costella advanced Legaspe into scoring position with a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt. After Cook singled to right field, Shadle cashed in on his third RBI of the game, producing the game-winning sacrifice fly (7-6).
 
Fresh off a thrilling victory in game one, Notre Dame College got back to work in game two, scoring five times in the top of the first inning. With two outs and no one on base, NDC started a rally as Parker roped a double down the left field line. Nate Miller generated the first run of the game with an RBI single to right field (1-0). Maximilian Schweiger added a single through the left side, followed by a Legaspe walk, before Costella totaled an RBI on a fielder's choice (2-0). Moreover, Kakos piled on to the scoring with a bases-clearing three-run double to right field, punctuating the Falcons five-run first (5-0).
 
WU grabbed a run back during the home half of the frame (5-1).
 
Mendoza picked up the NDC offense where they left off, by generating a leadoff double to right field. Then, Miller brought the third baseman home with an RBI single to right field (6-1)
 
Quickly, Wheeling tied the game at 6-6 with five runs on four hits in the bottom of the second inning, highlighted by a three-run home run.
 
The Falcons got back to scoring during the top of the fifth inning, posting four runs on four hits. Schweiger began the frame with a walk, before Legaspe bunted him over. With one-away, Costella double to left center field, delivering NDC a 7-6 lead. Two batters later and with two-down, Cook drove in Costella on an RBI single to center (8-6). The very next at-bat, Shadle stroked an RBI double to center field, bringing in Cook (9-6). Mendoza concluded the scoring in the inning with an RBI single to right field, ensuring Shadle touches home plate (10-6).
 
The rollercoaster continued into the bottom of the fifth inning when Wheeling reclaimed the lead 11-10, following a five-run, five-hit display.
 
In the top of the seventh inning, Notre Dame never stopped fighting, beginning with a Costella leadoff base knock. Two batters later, the clutch Tyler Shadle stepped to the plate, exactly who head coach Len Barker and the Falcons wanted to see up. Continuing his career-day, the Pasadena, Md. native sent a sacrifice fly to center field, driving in the tying run (11-11) and sending the game to extra-innings.
 
The Falcons continued to grind in the top of the eighth inning, as Miller led off with a walk. After a sacrifice bunt by Schweiger, Legaspe singled to second base, before both Miller and Legaspe advanced 90-feet on a wild pitch. A pair of Cardinal errors allowed Notre Dame to take snag a 14-11 edge, as WU could not handle the batted balls of Costella and Cook.
 
Upon grabbing the lead once more, redshirt junior Preston Mauzy shutdown Wheeling on the mound, delivering NDC a Sunday sweep of the Cardinals, evening the season series at 2-2. The Titusville, Fla. native earned the first win of his career after twirling 3.1 innings of scoreless relief, allowing two hits and zero walks, while punching out three.
 
Over the two games, Cook and Mendoza paced the Notre Dame College offense with four hits apiece. Cook produced the aforementioned career-high and three-hit game in the series finale. Mendoza picked up a pair of hits in each contest, registering his eighth multi-hit game of the season, including fourth in a row.
 
Costella added three hits on the afternoon, as Miller, Parker and Shadle tallied two hits apiece. In addition, Costella tied the program record with four runs scored in game two, as the Cleveland, Ohio native crossed home plate a team-high six times on the day (most since Ben Ross scored four times on 5/9/22 against Alderson Broaddus).

Legaspe joined in on rounding the bases with four runs scored over two games, along with Cook who crossed three times.
 
Shadle's career-day powered the NDC offense with five RBI, as he drove in multiple runs for the third time this season. Kakos joined in with a career-high three RBI in game two, while Mendoza, Cook and Miller all drove in two.
 
The Notre Dame College baseball team will be back in action on Tuesday Apr. 11 for a noon first-pitch at Malone University.