March 3, 2000
Box Score
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Notre Dame baseball team scored runs in
bunches and held off a late rally by 24th-ranked Wake Forest for an 8-5
victory Friday afternoon at the Metrodome, in opening-day action at the
Hormel Foods Baseball Classic.
Notre Dame junior righthander Scott Cavey (2-0) turned in six solid
innings for the win, allowing two runs on four hits and four walks while
striking out seven WFU batters.
Freshman lefthander Ben Clayton (3-1) took the loss for Wake Forest
(8-3), which saw its eight-game winning streak come to an end. Clayton
lasted just three innings, allowing two runs on four hits and four walks.
Notre Dame belted out 16 hits-including at least one from nine of
the 10 players who had at-bats-but the Irish stranded 11 runners, leaving
the door open for the Demon Deacons.
Two sophomores-centerfielder Steve Stanley and third baseman Andrew
Bushey-led the Irish hit parade with three hits each while Cavey and three
relievers-including No. 1 starter Aaron Heilman-combined on the
eight-hitter.
Notre Dame claimed an early lead with its first of four two-run
innings. Senior first baseman Jeff Felker led off the second inning with a
full-count walk, followed by a one-out single from Bushey and a two-out
walk from senior second baseman Jeff Perconte. Sophomore catcher Paul
O'Toole then laced a 1-2 pitch through the right side of the infield,
plating both runners.
Wake Forest posted its firth run in the bottom of the fifth, when
third baseman Corey Slavik sent a leadoff pitch inside the rightfield foul
pole, just below the luxury boxes.
The Irish extended their lead versus senior righthander Eric
Schmitt in the sixth, behind RBI singles from sophomore DH Matt Strickroth
and Stanley. Senior leftfielder Matt Nussbaum and Bushey got things going
with a consecutive one-out singles before Strickroth sent a pitch into
right-center field. The speedy Stanley then legged out a two-out single
that sent shortstop Chase Voshell wide to his left, for a 4-1 Irish lead.
Cavey ran into trouble moments later, as Jason Aquilante reached on
a one-out double to the gap in left center before uncharacteristic
back-to-back walks from Cavey (to Voshell and Danny Borrell). Slavik then
scored Aquilante with a deep flyout to center field. A walk to Matt Price
re-loaded the bases but Cavey induced Dan Conway to hit a groundball to
junior shortstop
Alec Porzel, ending the threat.
Notre Dame stretched to a 6-2 lead in the eighth inning, behind
Porzel's two-run double to deep right-center field. Perconte had opened the
inning with a leadoff single to center while Stanley again showed his speed
by reaching on a one-out, push-bunt single to the first baseman (he beat
Schmitt to the bag) before scoring all the way from first on Porzel's
double.
The Deacons got one of those runs back in the bottom of the inning,
when Voshell drove a 1-1 pitch from sophomore righthander Drew Duff deep
over the wall in left for his first home run of the season.
The Irish tacked on what proved to be two valuable insurance runs
in the ninth, versus senior righthander Matt Briggs. Bushey sparked the
two-out rally with a 3-2 hit up the middle. Sophomore pinch hitter Matt
Bok then took the first pitch he saw to the alley in left, scoring Bushey.
Bok scored one batter later, as Perconte sent the ball just out of reach of
the lunging second baseman Aquilante.
Wake Forest fashioned a late rally versus Heilman, with three hits
in the inning. Conway hit a one-out to left-center before advancing to
third on a single to left by pinch hitter Stephen Sullivan. Jamie Athas
then lifted a sacrifice fly to left field, with junior utility player Ben
Cooke making a diving catch. Cory Sullivan then doubled his namesake but
Aquilante popped up to Perconte, ending the game.
NOTES: ND returns to action Saturday afternoon, versus the host Minnesota
Golden Gophers in a 1:30 p.m. CST start ... the game is being shown live on
Midwest Sports Channel, a regional Fox Sports affiliate ... the Gophers
(4-5) handed Georgia (8-1) its first loss of the season in Friday's second
game, by a 9-1 count ... the No. 8 spot in the batting order (shared by
Strickroth, the lefthanded-hitting Bok and freshman Kris Billmaier) has
totaled five hits in 13 at-bats this season, with three RBI and six runs
scored ... Perconte has added 5-for-12 hitting from the No. 9 spot (3 RBI,
4 R) ... possible starters for Saturday's game include junior lefthander
Mike Naumann-who faced the final two batters in the eight inning
Friday-Matt Laird and fellow freshman righthander J.P. Gagne, a native of
Bloomington, Minn. ... Heilman is slated to start Sunday night's game
versus Georgia (5:00 p.m. CST start) ... freshman RF Brian Stavisky went
hitless (0-for-4) for the first time this season, with one walk and one
strikeout ... Friday's win was ND's first in its minimal series history
with Wake Forest (1-4, two losses in '49 and two in '88) ... O'Toole has
hits in all four games from his leadoff spot.
Notre Dame (3-1) 0-2-0 0-0-2 0-2-2 -- 8 16 0
Wake Forest (9-3) 0-0-0 0-1-1 0-1-2 -- 5 8 2
Cavey, Duff (7), Naumann (8), Heilman (9) and O'Toole.
Clayton, Schmitt (4), Lewis (8), Briggs (9) and Conway.
