Notre Dame baseball mounts epic comeback, beats NC State 8-4 in 12 innings in ACC opener
With Notre Dame baseball’s high offensive ceiling this year, it ain’t over ‘til it’s over.
On Friday afternoon, No. 3 Notre Dame (10-1, 1-0 ACC) opened up conference play in Raleigh against No. 25 NC State (9-5, 0-1 ACC). They finished Day 1 of a three-game series with an 8-4 win in 12 innings. All eight of Notre Dame’s runs were unanswered.
The Irish fell behind early, as the Wolfpack took a 4-0 lead in the third inning. NC State entered the game as the nation’s No. 5 offense, and it looked early like Notre Dame was going to fail its first real test of the 2022 college baseball season.
Starting pitcher Aiden Tyrell, who boasted a 0.56 ERA and had allowed just one earned run entering Friday, gave up the four runs, three of which were earned, and allowed seven hits. His ERA on Friday was 6.75.
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Notre Dame looked to be in trouble, but a veteran Irish team didn’t panic. Resilient. Determined. Cool under pressure. They all work.
Irish bats explode late
NC State starting pitcher Sam Highfill had given up just two hits and zero runs through 101 pitches and six innings. Then came pitch No. 102, one which Irish first baseman Carter Putz launched out of the park for his second home run of the season.
Notre Dame ultimately tied it up at 4-4 in the eighth inning, leading to extra baseball.
Both bullpens were playing lights out in innings 10 and 11. Neither team reached base.
In the 12th, Notre Dame’s Zack Prajzner smoked a ball for his first home run of the year to give Notre Dame a 5-4 lead, and the Irish added three additional insurance runs on what was becoming a washout night in Raleigh with numerous wild pitches and errors.
NC State couldn’t score in the bottom of the ninth, and the Irish earned victory No. 10 on the year.
Jack Brannigan was lights out all over the field
The ACC broadcast referred to third baseman and pitcher Brannigan as head coach Link Jarrett‘s “utility player.” Boy, did he live up to that description on Friday.
Brannigan started the afternoon at third base and went 3-for-5 with three single-base hits and a walk at the plate. He earned his 10th RBI of the year, which is third on the team.
Once Notre Dame exhausted multiple bullpen options, Brannigan moved to the mound in the 11th inning. He faced six batters over one and two-thirds innings and struck out four NC State players. He kept the Wolfpack hitless and earned the win (1-0). NC State’s Chris Villaman (1-2) took home the loss.
In total, the Notre Dame bullpen allowed zero runs over eight innings and struck out 11 batters. They allowed just three hits.
Game 2 of the Notre Dame-NC State begins at 2:00 p.m. ET on Sunday on ACC Network Extra.
