Notre Dame dropped their record down to 9-6 on Friday, which also ended the team's three-game streak of wins on the road. They lost 13-2 to the Grafton Bearcats. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Fighting Irish have suffered since March 20th.
Notre Dame saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jovanni Minnocci, who went 1-for-2 with one run. Another was Kaiden Posey, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with one stolen base.
As for Grafton, the win (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 15-13. The contest marked their most dominant victory of the season.
On Grafton's side, Jacob Moats made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits. What's more, Moats posted three strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
In other pitching news, Ethan Penland looked comfortable as he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. What's more, he posted two strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March.
Back at the plate, Carter Gillespie was a standout: he went a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one triple. He is becoming a predictor of Grafton's success: when he posts at least two stolen bases the team is 6-3 (and 9-10 when he doesn't). Noah Fletcher was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI, two runs, and one double.
Coming up, Notre Dame is taking a road trip to face off against Elkins at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. As for Grafton, they will welcome Lincoln at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday.
