Fighting Irish Streak Hits Six Games—and Counting
After sweeping 20th-ranked Clemson just two weeks ago, Notre Dame baseball’s momentum has cratered. The Irish were swept by North Carolina and then again by North Carolina State, dropping ND’s record to 15-12 overall and 6-9 in ACC play. Saturday’s game saw a dramatic nine-run swing: Notre Dame rallied for five runs in the ninth to take a 6-5 lead, only to give up two in the bottom half and lose 7-6. Two key issues loom: a bullpen that has coughed up multiple runs in every game of the losing streak, and an unsettled No. 3 starter spot behind aces Jack Radel and Ty Uber. With rematches against Florida State, Clemson, and a trip to Stanford looming, the schedule promises no reprieve as the Irish search for answers.
Surely, the Irish bullpen is not a malfunctioning Blarney Stone—unless every time it’s kissed it magically turns into extra base runners. Fans have started calling the closer “Saint I’ll-blow-it-for-ya,” because nothing says “faith” like watching a late ninth-inning lead evaporate faster than a leprechaun in a rainstorm. And as for the third starter, Notre Dame’s rotation is more like a musical chairs game—only the music has stopped and nobody’s sure who’s out. Next up: Michigan State, which must be quaking in its farming boots, because if Notre Dame keeps pitching like this, the Spartans might actually win one.
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