March 28, 2008

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio - Notre Dame split a doubleheader for the fourth consecutive time Friday, as the Falcons and Shawnee State each earned a win in an American Mideast Conference two-game affair. The Blue & Gold picked up a 9-4 win in the opener before losing the nightcap, 4-1.

The Falcons have split each of the last four doubleheaders they've played this season. NDC is now 10-9 on the season and 3-3 in league play.

The games were played in VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, where Shawnee plays several of their home games.

Game one
In the opener, senior Chris Balmert (Lakewood, OH) toed the rubber for NDC. He blanked the Bears (6-14) through the first three innings of the game before being touched for a pair of runs on three hits in the top of the fourth.

In the top of the fourth, Balmert had been staked to a 5-0 lead after the Falcons scored four.

Shawnee made it a 5-4 game with another pair of runs in the sixth. That chased Balmert, who went six, yielding 11 base runners. Three of the four runs allowed by the righthander were earned. He walked one and fanned three.

His SSU counterpart, Justin Craft (Sr/South Webster, OH), went five giving up five runs (two earned).

So, with Notre Dame leading 5-4 heading into the seventh, the Falcons tacked on four markers to close out the scoring. NDC banged out four hits against three SSU pitchers in the seventh frame.

Senior hurler Tony Canzoni (Walton Hills, OH) came on to pitch a hitless, scoreless seventh for the Falcons.

Senior Mike Wilsey (Vermilion, OH) went 4-for-4 with a double in the first game. Dustin Taulbee (Sr/Elyria, OH) went 2-for-2 with a double and a walk.

Game two
In the second game, NDC southpaw Mick Robinson (Jr/Canal Winchester, OH) continued his uncanny stretch without run support.

Robinson went five frames and gave up four runs, all earned. He was relieved by freshman Trent Crow (Daytona Beach, FL) in the sixth.

The Falcons answered but one of those four tallies, when they pushed across a solo run in the second on an RBI single by junior designated hitter Jeff Burch (Strongsville, OH).

Other than that, NDC was stymied by three SSU pitchers who pitched the game piecemeal - starter Adam Hatton (So/Grove City, OH) went two innings, as did reliever Philip Holt (Sr/Sylvania, OH). Jonathan Venters (Sr/Xenia, OH) closed out the game pitching the final three stanzas.

Notre Dame got to those three for 10 hits, including two doubles. But as has become custom with the hard-luck Robinson on the hill, the NDC nine could not produce runs when Falcon batsmen got aboard. In five starts this season, Robinson has now received just six total runs in support.

"I've never seen anything like it," said NDC Head Coach Craig Moro. "Mick's pitching well. On one hand you could say he doesn't have anything to show for it. But as far as I'm concerned, he's showing us plenty."

After scoring in the second, the Falcons hung zeroes in the remaining five frames to finish with less than three runs for the eighth time this season.

Notre Dame did not draw a walk in the nightcap. Junior shortstop Nate Campbell (Lakewood, OH) and junior left fielder Jack Sito (Elyria, OH) each garnered a pair of hits in the loss. Sito went 4-for-6 in the doubleheader.

NOTES FROM THE NEST...

BEAR OF A ROAD TRIP: Earlier in the day, Notre Dame learned their scheduled home games against No.20 Ohio Dominican would need to be relocated to ODU's campus in Columbus due to what remains an unplayable Paul Serra Field. The Falcons have not yet gotten in a home game, and they're not slated to be home again until Apr. 6.

HIT MEN: With his four hits Friday, Jack Sito raised his season batting average to .321. The right-handed hitting slugger is seven for his last 14, and his 29 total bases lead the team. ... With Mike Wilsey's 5-for-7 performance in the twin bill, the junior third sacker is now sporting a .358 season average. He has hit safely in 10 of the Falcons' last 12 games. Wilsey ranks second in program history with a .352 career batting average in 227 at-bats.