Despite out-hitting nationally-ranked Notre Dame Saturday afternoon, Stetson was unable to push across enough runs, falling to the Fighting Irish 5-3 at Melching Field.
Sophomore left-hander Jonathan Gonzalez (0-1) started and took the loss on the mound for Stetson (1-1). Senior Rasesh Pandya was a bright spot out of the bullpen, going three shutout innings while allowing one hit, walking none and striking out two.
While it was one bad inning that did most of the damage - Notre Dame scored four times in the fourth on three hits and with the help of an error - there too many mistakes, both mental and physical, throughout the game for the Hatters.
Offensively, Stetson was led by senior Nick DiPonzio, who went 2-for-4 on the day with an RBI. Senior Cameron Hill put together a noteworthy performance as well, picking up two hits, scoring a run and stealing a base. Freshman Yohann Dessureault had a double for the only extra-base hit of the game for Stetson.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Hatters got on the board early, starting their scoring with a run in the bottom of the first inning. An single from DiPonzio scored Hill from third base after he singled on the first pitch he saw, and moved up a passed ball and a ground out.
The Irish rallied, scoring a single run in the third inning on a squeeze bunt after a pair of hits and an error put runners on the corners. The four-run fourth included three hits from the Irish along with another Stetson error. Notre Dame catcher David LaManna had the big blow with a two-run single.
The Hatters got back on the board in the ninth, with DiPonzio and Dessureault coming in to score on a two-out throwing error.
GAME NOTES
» The Hatters out-hit the Fighting Irish at an 8-6 clip.
» The win for Notre Dame snapped a series tie between the programs. The Irish now lead 4-3 over the Hatters all-time.
» Hatters coach Steve Trimper is now 0-2 in his coaching career against Notre Dame.
» The four errors in the game for Stetson were more than in any game during the 2021 season. The last time Stetson had more than four errors in a game was Feb. 21, 2020, against Hartford. The Hatters lost that game 6-3 thanks in part to the five errors.
» Senior John M. Bertrand led the Fighting Irish pitching staff, throwing six innings of one-run ball. Bertrand and reliever Ryan McLinsky, who earned a save, combined to strikeout 14 Stetson hitters, the most since the Hatters struck out 15 times in a loss at Florida State last April 27.
This story created through content automation technology from Data Skrive.
About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program is driven by a shared purpose. It is what inspires, motivates and binds us together. More than a task, a reason for being. THE HATTER PURPOSE is to create and provide an experience of a lifetime through teamwork and relationships to achieve excellence. This purpose is achieved through five Core Values: Communication, Integrity, Excellence, Value People and Commitment. To learn more about the HATS program and our Core Values, visit GoHatters.com/HATS (PDF).
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