Louisville Finishes Doubleheader Sweep of Notre Dame with 8-2 Win

Friday, March 11

LOUISVILLE, KY

6:15 PM

University of Louisville

12-2, 2-0

NOTRE DAME

6-7, 0-2

Notre Dame

Louisville

Brendan McKay had two RBI at the plate and 13 strikeouts on the mound in Friday's win.

Louisville Finishes Doubleheader Sweep of Notre Dame with 8-2 Win

March 11, 2016 | Baseball

Box Score

McKay registers career-best 13 strikeouts as Cardinals clinch 11th straight ACC series win

By: Garett Wall

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Sophomore Brendan McKay had a career-best 13 strikeouts while the offense produced a six-run first inning as the No. 4 Louisville baseball team completed a doubleheader sweep of Notre Dame with an 8-2 victory in the nightcap Friday evening at Jim Patterson Stadium.

The Cardinals (12-2, 2-0) extended their season-high winning streak to seven games while clinching their 11th straight Atlantic Coast Conference series victory. Louisville also pushed its winning streak against Notre Dame (6-7, 0-2) to eight games and improved to 11-0 at home this season.

McKay's 13 strikeouts were one better than his previous career-high total and the most for a Louisville pitcher since Scott Barber had 13 against Butler on Feb. 28, 2003. In Friday's win, McKay moved to 4-0 on the season and 13-3 in his collegiate career allowing only two unearned runs on three hits while surrendering five walks in 6.2 innings. In his four starts in 2016, McKay has allowed just one earned run for a 0.33 ERA and has 37 strikeouts in 27.2 innings pitched.

Junior outfielder Colin Lyman led the offense finishing 2-for-3 with two RBI and a stolen base, while sophomore catcher Colby Fitch was 2-for-3 with a double and scored twice. McKay helped his own cause with a two-run double and junior outfielder Corey Ray singled, stole two bases and scored once in the win.

Louisville wasted little time taking command of Friday's nightcap with its decisive six-run first inning. After Ray led off with a single up the middle and Solak was hit by a pitch from Notre Dame starter Brandon Bielak, McKay drove them both home with his two-run double off the centerfield wall. After loading the bases later in the inning, sophomore shortstop Devin Hairston walked to score McKay before Lyman followed with a run-scoring single to left to plate senior first baseman Danny Rosenbaum. The final two runs of the inning scored on a throwing error by Fighting Irish third baseman Kyle Fiala.

Notre Dame broke through for its only two runs of the game in the fourth inning as catcher Ryan Lidge followed a two-out error by the Cardinals with a two-run double down the left field line. However, they would get no closer as McKay and junior righty Jake Sparger limited the visitors to just two hits over the final five innings of the game.

Louisville added to its advantage in the sixth inning on a RBI single from Lyman to score Fitch. Solak scored the final run of the night in the seventh inning when he reached base on a Notre Dame error, stole second, moved to third on another Irish error and heading home on a wild pitch.

Sparger followed McKay and finished with three strikeouts and allowed just one hit in 2.1 innings of shutout relief to close the game. Bielak took the loss for Notre Dame and dropped to 0-1 on the season allowing six runs, including four earned, on four hits with two strikeouts and four walks in three innings.

The Cardinals and Fighting Irish will conclude their series on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET. Admission is free and the game will be televised by ESPN3.

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