Four home runs lead Notre Dame past No. 1 Tennessee 8-6 in Game 1 of Knoxville Super Regional
On Friday night, Notre Dame baseball (39-14) took on No. 1 Tennessee (56-8) in the Knoxville Super Regional of the 2022 NCAA Baseball Tournament. It started out with a bang. Then another. And then two more.
For almost the duration of the season, the top-ranked Volunteers were in a figurative league of their own; it was Tennessee and everyone else. The Irish would need to do something special to get a win on Friday night, especially because they were saving their ace on the mound, John Micheal Bertrand, for Saturday.
Quite special it was, as the Irish came out on top by a score of 8-6. It was Tennessee’s first home postseason loss since 2001, per Cole Cubelic.
Notre Dame head coach Link Jarrett had opined about the size of Tennessee’s Lindsey Nelson Stadium earlier this week, saying it was a hitter-friendly park. Friday’s showing from his team supported that theory.
The Notre Dame batters came out on fire, knocking a home run in each of the first four innings. First baseman Carter Putz started the scoring with a two-run shot (7) in the first inning. Second baseman Jared Miller — who was making his first start since May 14 — added a solo shot (4) in the second inning. Designated hitter Jack Zyska hit a two-run home run (12) in the third, and third baseman Jack Brannigan hit a no-doubter (11) to left field with two men on base in the fourth. The four blasts tied the Irish’s season high for home runs in a single game. Zyska now leads Notre Dame in home runs this year despite making just 33 starts, and Brannigan is working with a 14-game hit streak.
“The ball was carrying,” Jarrett said after the game. “The at bats were good, the game planning by the assistant coaches preparing these guys properly for the starting pitcher (was) very impressive.
“The two-strike home runs. These caliber of arms (that Tennessee has) have the chance to put you away in two-strike counts. And when you can deliver some of the blows that these hitters delivered tonight, that’s a massive momentum swing.”
Between the Irish home runs, the nation’s No. 1 offense did score a run of its own on a sacrifice fly to center field, one which was about 5 feet from leaving the park and making it a 5-3 game instead of the 5-1 game it became. Notre Dame’s Austin Temple (4-1, 3.68 ERA) was the pitcher on the mound at the time, and he threw three innings of three-hit, two-run baseball before being pulled in favor of reliever Alex Rao (3-1, 4.34 ERA).
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Rao was the pitcher of record after throwing 3.2 innings and allowing two hits and three earned runs. He walked three of the 16 batters he saw.
Meanwhile on the offensive side, Notre Dame continued to get on base but could not capitalize. Brannigan’s aforementioned three-run shot in the fourth inning was ultimately the last time the Irish scored. Miller was the offensive MVP on the evening, knocking the solo home run and going 3-4 in total.
Tennessee racked up a few runs, and when Statesboro Regional hero and freshman All-American Jack Findlay (5-2, 2.34 ERA) took the mound in the eighth inning for Notre Dame, the Irish held an 8-5 lead. The rookie needed six outs, and outside of a solo home run allowed in the ninth inning, he got them fairly easily. Findlay struck out three of the eight batters he saw.
In three NCAA Tournament appearances, the lefty has notched three saves in 5.1 innings pitched. He’s allowed two hits, two walks, one run and struck out eight. Findlay earned that freshman All-American status on Wednesday, and Friday night showed it was 100 percent deserved.
“Great atmosphere,” Jarrett said of the entire outing. “Can’t ask for anything better than that.”
With a trip to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. on the line, Notre Dame will once again face Tennessee on Saturday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. If the Irish win, they head to Omaha. Otherwise, Game 3 will occur on Sunday.
Saturday’s game begins at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN. Bertrand (9-2, 2.27 ERA) will be on the mound for the Irish.
