March 13, 2008

HAMILTON, Ohio - Notre Dame swept a twin bill at Miami University-Hamilton Thursday, 19-7 and 5-4. The Falcons got solid starting pitching in the two-game affair, which had originally been scheduled as a four-game trip and was twice postponed due to snow.

Eric Pelot (Jr/Lakewood, OH) stole home in the nightcap as part of a double steal to finish off a seventh inning comeback for NDC. Notre Dame stole a season-high eight bases in game two and 13 on the day.

Senior catcher Josh Bieneman (Baltimore, MD) reached base six times in the two games to pace the Blue & Gold bats. The clean-up hitting backstop laced three doubles and collected six RBIs against the Harriers (3-3).

With the pair of road victories, Notre Dame (6-5) has now picked up wins in five of their last seven games.

Game one
In the opener, Notre Dame scored six runs in the top of the third on four hits, three walks, and an error. Junior left fielder Jack Sito (Elyria, OH) sparked the outburst with a bases-clearing triple to right field off MU-H starter Joe Sullivan.

The Falcons also hung crooked numbers on the Foundation Field scoreboard in the fourth, sixth, and seventh innings in scoring a season-high 19 runs. Josh Bieneman went 3-for-4 with a pair of walks, two doubles, and six RBIs in the game. Derek Lewis (Sr/Lakewood, OH), Eric Pelot, and Mike Wilsey (Sr/Vermilion, OH) also posted multi-hit games for NDC. The Falcons banged out a season-high 13 for the game. They also banged out a season-high four extra-base hits (three doubles, one triple).

Starter Ken Fields (Sr/North Olmsted, OH) went four innings and gave up seven runs (two earned). Sophomore Joe Frey (Erie, PA) earned a three-inning save behind Fields.

Game two
In the nightcap, NDC fell behind 3-0 in the first. The Falcons then picked up an unearned run in the second and then tied the game in the third on another unearned run and a wild pitch.

Three Harrier relievers combined to hold NDC at bay after that. Miami-Hamilton plated a go-ahead fourth run with two out in the bottom of the sixth. Then, in the top of the seventh, designated hitter Dustin Taulbee (Sr/Elyria, OH) was hit by a pitch. He stole second and then, after a walk to Eric Pelot, he and Pelot stole second and third in a double steal. Josh Bieneman then grounded out. Mike Wilsey followed him up with a game-tying sacrifice fly to center field.

With two outs and a man on third, Jack Sito was plunked. Six Falcons were hit by a pitch in the two games.

Sito and Pelot then pulled off the double steal to give NDC a 5-4 lead. Pelot stole four bases on the day, as did Taulbee.

Starter Steve Kovar (Cleveland, OH), who had extricated himself from several jams throughout the middle innings, was lifted with one out in bottom of the seventh. Junior righthander Lafe Burnette (Romulus, MI) came on two get a clutch strikeout and groundout for the save.

Head Coach Craig Moro was pleased with the team's performance: "The bats came alive in the first game. We really sprayed the ball around. In the second game, we got out-hit, but we executed when we needed to."

Curtis Blank had five hits in the twin bill to lead MU-Hamilton.


NOTES FROM THE NEST...

NICE START: Notre Dame's 6-5 start ties a program-best for 11 games. The Falcons also went 6-5 to start the 2006 season. ... The Falcons are now 3-0 in one-run games. ... NDC's eight stolen bases in the second game Thursday represent a new single-game record. ... The two games in Hamilton marked the first-ever meeting between the Falcons and Harriers. MU-Hamilton is a regional campus of Miami University in Oxford.

TALE OF TWO GAMES: The NDC batting order went 9-for-20 with runners in scoring position (RISP) in the opener, 0-for-13 in the nightcap. Through 11 games, the Falcons are batting .261 (30-for-115) with RISP. ... Both Eric Pelot and Nate Campbell (Jr/Lakewood, OH) are hitting .385 (5-for-13) in such situations.

LEADING WITH THEIR BEST: In the doubleheader against MU-H, NDC leadoff batters went a combined 10-for-14 leading off an inning. The top of the NDC order (Cambell batting leadoff, Taulbee second) combined to reach base six times leading off an inning.

PITCHING IN: The NDC pitching staff now sports a season ERA of 3.44. No Falcon pitcher has given up a home run since Feb. 23 (eight consecutive games). ... Newcomer Ken Fields sports a 1.59 ERA in his first 17 innings in Blue & Gold. Opposing batters are hitting just .212 with two extra-base hits off the North Olmsted native.