Notre Dame Holds Down Texas Offense, Wins CWS Opener 7-3

By ERIC OLSON, AP Sports activities Author

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — John Michael Bertrand and two relievers held Texas’ potent offense in verify and Notre Dame scored in all types of the way in a 7-3 victory Friday evening in its first School World Collection sport in 20 years.

The Irish (41-15) carried over their momentum from eliminating No. 1 nationwide seed Tennessee within the tremendous regionals with a powerful all-around efficiency towards this system making its document thirty eighth look in Omaha.

“It was enjoyable for you and the followers and the nation that watched our staff as a result of I really feel like once we’re enjoying effectively, that’s what we do,” Irish coach Hyperlink Jarrett mentioned. “I’m very happy with them to come back into this ambiance and carry out for the primary time that well-rounded of a sport towards clearly an outstanding program.”

Notre Dame will play Oklahoma on Sunday. The Longhorns (47-21) will face rival Texas A&M in an elimination sport.

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“It simply wasn’t our day,” Texas coach David Pierce mentioned. “We couldn’t get that stream going and we simply couldn’t get their site visitors off the bases all day. We have been continually below stress defensively and pitching.”

Bertrand (10-3), roughed up in his begin towards Tennessee final week, restricted the Longhorns to a few runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings. Alex Rao and Jack Findlay gave up no hits in 3 1/3 innings, with Findlay incomes his fourth save.

The Irish scored six runs on 9 hits towards Texas starter Pete Hansen (11-3). They picked up single runs on Jared Miller’s dwelling run within the first inning, an RBI groundout within the third and a security squeeze within the fourth, they usually scored three extra within the fifth on Tristan Stevens’ balk and a pair singles.

Carter Putz’s homer within the ninth gave the Irish a four-run lead.

“If you come out of the corners in a boxing match and you may land the primary blow, it’s a very good feeling,” Jarrett mentioned. “It offers you the momentum and the mojo, and while you’re teaching the sport with the lead, you may have some choices … and the playbook opens up slightly bit extra.”

The Longhorns arrived in Omaha with a program-record 128 homers, most among the many CWS groups and fourth nationally, and had hit three or extra in every of its earlier 4 video games.

They mustered solely six singles towards the Irish and have been the one staff within the first two CWS video games to not hit a homer.

Douglas Hodo II had an RBI single, and the Longhorns scored on a squeeze play and wild pitch.

It was the primary sport this season that Texas did not have an extra-base hit.

Final yr, the Longhorns misplaced their CWS opener after which gained three straight to achieve their bracket ultimate, the place they misplaced to eventual nationwide champion Mississippi State.

“We have been on this state of affairs earlier than,” Stevens mentioned. “We will’t look three video games forward, two video games forward. Our subsequent goal is A&M.”

Texas and Notre Dame traded runs on security squeeze performs.

The Longhorns’ Dylan Campbell got here dwelling on Eric Kennedy’s bunt within the third. Bertrand picked it up and threw to second for the drive quite than attempt to get Campbell on the plate.

Within the fourth, Hansen flipped to catcher Silas Ardoin after fielding Spencer Myer’s bunt, however the Irish’s Jack Brannigan was capable of contact the plate together with his hand simply forward of Ardoin’s sweep tag. Brannigan was known as out initially however dominated protected after a video evaluate.

Paul Mainieri, who coached Notre Dame in its earlier CWS look in 2002, watched from a stadium suite with Brian O’Connor, who was the staff’s pitching coach.

Mainieri went on to educate at LSU from 2007 till he retired final yr. O’Connor left to develop into head coach at Virginia in 2003 and has been there since.

Two-time Tremendous Bowl champion Peyton Manning watched the sport from the stands. Fittingly, the retired quarterback wore a hat bearing his signature line on the line of scrimmage: “OMAHA!”

Extra AP school sports activities: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

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