Why a victory over Clemson has added meaning for Notre Dame pitcher John Michael Bertrand
Every game matters. Notre Dame pitcher John Michael Bertrand said it himself.
But No. 13 Notre Dame’s (18-5, 6-4 ACC) 4-1 victory over Clemson (19-10, 2-7 ACC) on Friday had a bit of added meaning for Bertrand, a former pitcher for the Furman Paladins. Furman is located just 30 miles from Clemson, and the two teams played numerous mid-week contests while Bertrand was on the roster.
This wasn’t just an important conference game for Bertrand, it was also a rivalry renewed.
“I’m ultra competitive, and it’s a little bit extra with the Clemson Tigers, because my undergrad was 40 minutes away from them,” Bertrand said. “So they were a rival for four years and especially the last two years.”
On Friday, the sixth-year pitcher got the best of the Tigers.
Bertrand made his eighth start of the 2022 season and moved to 5-0 on the year after a brilliant 8.1-inning outing with four hits, zero earned runs, three walks and eight strikeouts. It was his second straight start without allowing an earned run. The graduate student threw 130 pitches, what he was fairly confident was a career high.
“He had really four pitches in play, and he normally does, but when his curveballs have good shape and a little bit more downhill action, it really helps all of his other pitches,” Irish head coach Link Jarrett said after the game.
Bertrand entered Friday’s contest with a 1.81 ERA, and that measure dropped to 1.32 as a result of the latest performance. The national statistics will be updated on Monday, but that’s sure to be near the top.
PROMOTION: Sign up for just $1 for your first year at Blue & Gold
Bertrand made one start for the Paladins against Clemson, a March 2019 3-2 loss. He avenged that, at least somewhat, in March 2021, when he earned his first win for the blue and gold against Clemson. Furman no longer has a baseball team after discontinuing it in 2020, but the rivalry sentiment remains there for Bertrand.
“I was a little frustrated,” Bertrand said of not being able to close out the game after notching 25 of 27 outs. “But at the end of the day, we get the win in the win column. That’s all it matters.”
Reliever Ryan McLinskey got the save, his third of the season. The final two outs came via a double play.
On offense, the game was a bit of a “grind it out and get the win” type. Three of Notre Dame’s four runs came on a bunt, a passed ball, and a sacrifice fly. It wasn’t flashy, but it got the job done.
Spencer Myers got the start in center field for a banged up TJ Williams, and he went 2-3 with an RBI. Third baseman Jack Brannigan had a pair of hits as well, including his team-leading ninth double of the year.
Game 2 of the three-game series begins at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday at Frank Eck Stadium. It is available to stream via ACCNX.
