March 29, 2008

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Notre Dame dropped both ends of a road doubleheader Saturday, as the Falcons were topped by No. 20 Ohio Dominican, 7-4 and 6-3. ODU pitching garnered 16 strikeouts over the two-game American Mideast Conference (AMC) affair.

The losses hand Notre Dame (10-11, 3-5) their longest losing streak of the season - they've now dropped three straight. Ohio Dominican is now 13-7 overall and 2-0. They are the first ranked team NDC has played this season.

The games, originally scheduled to be played as home games in Euclid, were played at ODU's Panther Valley ballpark due to unplayable field conditions at soggy Serra Field. NDC batted as the home team in both games.

Game one
In the opener, the Falcons took a brief 3-1 lead on a two-run homer by senior third baseman Mike Wilsey (Vermilion, OH). The Panthers, however, fought back with four runs in the top of the fourth; all four were scored with two outs in the innings.

Junior first baseman Chris Palagyi (Parma, OH) led off the home half of the fourth with a single. He came around to score on an RBI ground out off the bat of Dustin Taulbee (Sr/Elyria, OH). That run, which made the game 5-4 ODU,was followed by a walk and a wild pitch. That would end the outing of Panther starter Jonathan Kountis (So/Akron, OH). He struck out five and allowed three earned runs in 3-2/3 innings.

Kountis was relieved by sophomore southpaw Ryan Robowski (Uniontown, PA), who struck out Eric Pelot (Jr/Lakewood, OH) with two aboard. Robowski dominated from that point forward - he tossed 3-1/3 scoreless, hitless innings to pick up the win.

ODU scored lone runs in the sixth and seventh to close out the scoring in the game. Robowski walked just one; he recorded 10 outs in the game - via six strikeouts and four ground balls.

Notre Dame pitching (Ken Fields and Ryan Rico) combined to walk five and hit three. Fields (Sr/North Olmsted, OH) was collared with the loss - he gave up five runs (four earned) in four innings of work.

The Panthers' Eian Banks (Delaware, OH) reached base four times (single, walk, hit by pitch twice) in the game. Senior second baseman Cory O'Keefe (Sheffield Lake, OH) reached three times (single, two walks) for the Falcons.

NDC was just 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

Game two
In the second game, NDC miscues led to four ODU runs through the first three frames. Starter Lafe Burnette (So/Romulus, MI) plunked three batters and was victimized by three unearned runs. He gave up six runs and was lifted after four innings.

Notre Dame scored three runs in the game, on five hits. ODU Starter Chris Smith (Jr/Chesterton, OH) went the route for the Panthers. He walked three and struck out five. He too induced his fair share of ground balls. On his outs in play, grounders outnumbered flies, 10-to-4.

NDC's Tony Canzoni (Sr/Walton Hills, OH) pitched two scoreless innings out of the bullpen.

Junior first baseman Wilbert Morales (Dorado, PR) had an RBI single and a solo home run in four trips to the plate to lead ODU.

Dustin Taulbee singled, walked, and stole a base to pace Notre Dame.

The "home games on the road" further delayed NDC's home opener, which has now been twice postponed. As of Saturday, the Falcons' next home game is slated for Apr. 6.