Wednesday, April 02, 2003

Notre Dame, Ind. ? Valpo pounded out five extra base hits, but Notre Dame defeated the Crusaders 13-4. Eric Snyder had two hits for Valpo (6-12-1), including a triple. The Irish scored five runs in the second inning.

The Crusaders took a 1-0 lead in the first when Snyder walked, stole second and scored on a one-out double to right center by Sean Peickert. In the bottom of the second, Notre Dame (18-6) plated five runs on seven hits. A three-run homer by Steve Andres highlighted the frame.

Matt Edwards' solo shot was part of a two-run fourth for Notre Dame. Ignited by Steve Sollmann's two-run triple, the Irish added five more in the fifth and one in the sixth.

Martin Vergara (1-0) pitched the first 5 innings for Notre Dame, allowing one run and four hits, while striking out six and walking two.

Valpo, which had nine hits, scored two in the seventh. Kyle Young doubled to right center and pinch runner Tyler Lowell scored on Kevin Kutansky's two-out triple. Snyder followed with an RBI single down the right field line.

Lowell delivered an RBI single in the ninth, scoring Brandon Sadler, who led off the inning with a double.

Peickert (1-3) started on the mound for Valpo, allowing nine runs and 11 hits in 4 innings. He fanned two and walked one. Kyle Obenauf (1), Kyle Cummings (2) and Adam Paetznick hurled the final four innings. Four Notre Dame relievers followed Vergara to the mound.

The Irish finished with 15 hits as Sollmann and Craig Cooper had three each. Andres had four RBIs and Sollmann had three.

Valpo will play Wisconsin-Milwaukee in a doubleheader on Saturday at the Milwaukee Brewers' Miller Park. The first game will start at approximately 5 p.m. CST following the Brewers' game with the San Francisco Giants, which begins at 1 p.m.