Box Score | Bracket | ACC Championship Photos
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Notre Dame was one of the final teams to open play in this year’s Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Championship, and starting pitcher John Michael Bertrand made it worth the wait.
Bertrand stifled ninth-seeded Florida State with eight strong innings as the fourth-seeded Fighting Irish downed the Seminoles, 5-3, in the second game of Thursday’s session at Truist Field.
Notre Dame (34-13) earned a spot in Saturday’s 1 p.m. semifinal, where it will meet the winner of Friday evening’s game between top-seeded Virginia Tech (40-11) and No. 8 seed North Carolina (35-19). No. 10 seed NC State is slated to meet No. 11 Pitt in Saturday’s other semifinal. The winner of Saturday’s games will meet on Sunday at noon for the ACC Championship.
The Fighting Irish also have a tournament game slated versus No. 5 seed Virginia on Friday at 11 a.m., but Notre Dame has clinched its tournament semifinal berth regardless of that outcome.
Bertrand (8-2) yielded just five hits and one unearned run while walking one batter and striking out eight. The eight-inning stint was the second-longest of the season for the grad student from Alpharetta, Georgia, surpassed only by his 8.1 innings versus Clemson on April 8.
Bertrand departed with a 5-1 lead, and Florida State (33-23) proceeded to make things more than interesting in his absence.
The Seminoles loaded the bases against reliever Austin Temple with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, and pinch-hitter Brock Mathis launched a high drive off the left-field wall that just missed leaving the park for a game-tying grand slam. Two runs scored to make it 5-3, and the Fighting Irish summoned closer Alex Rao in search of the final out.
Rao got it, but not without a bit more drama. FSU designated hitter Tyler Martin sent another drive to left field, but Notre Dame’s Jack Zyska chased it down and made the running catch.
Notre Dame played long ball in the middle innings versus FSU ace Parker Messick (6-5), parlaying a solo homer by Zack Prajzner and two-run shots by Zyska and Brooks Coetzee into a 5-1 lead through five innings. Messick departed the game at that point, and the score remain unchanged until the Seminoles stirred things up in the exciting bottom of the ninth.
Florida State finished 1-1 in this year’s ACC Baseball Championship following its win over Virginia on Wednesday and will now await Memorial Day and the announcement of this year’s NCAA Tournament bracket.
2022 ACC BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
May 24-29 at Truist Field, Charlotte, N.C.
POOL A – #1 Virginia Tech, #8 North Carolina, #12 Clemson
POOL B – #2 Louisville, #7 Georgia Tech, #11 Pitt
POOL C – #3 Miami, #6 Wake Forest, #10 NC State
POOL D – #4 Notre Dame, #5 Virginia, #9 Florida State
Tuesday, May 24
No. 11 Pitt 12, No. 7 Georgia Tech 6
No. 10 NC State 11, No. 6 Wake Forest 8
No. 8 North Carolina 9, No. 12 Clemson 2
Wednesday, May 25
No. 11 Pitt 6, No. 2 Louisville 5
No. 9 Florida State 13, No. 5 Virginia 3 (8 innings)
No. 10 NC State 9, Miami 6
Thursday, May 26
No. 7 Georgia Tech 9, No. 2 Louisville 4
No. 4 Notre Dame 5, No. 9 Florida State 3
No. 1 Virginia Tech vs. No. 12 Clemson, 7 p.m. (RSN/ACCN Extra)
Friday, May 27
No. 5 Virginia vs. No. 4 Notre Dame, 11 a.m. (RSN/ACCN Extra)
No. 6 Wake Forest vs. No. 3 Miami, 3 p.m. (RSN/ACCN Extra)
No. 8 North Carolina vs. No. 1 Virginia Tech, 7 p.m. (RSN/ACCN Extra)
Saturday, May 28
Pool A Winner vs. Notre Dame, 1 p.m. (ACCN/ACCN Extra)
No. 11 Pitt vs. No. 10 NC State, 5 p.m. (ACCN/ACCN Extra)
Sunday, May 29
ACC Championship, Noon (ESPN2/ACCN Extra)