HANOVER, MD - Notre Dame of Maryland dropped a heartbreaker in a wild, back-and-forth slugfest on March 17, falling 18–17 to Hood in a game that featured 35 combined runs and multiple momentum swings.
Notre Dame wasted no time setting the tone, erupting for seven runs in the bottom of the first inning. After an early Hood run, the Gators answered with a barrage of offense, highlighted by RBI hits from
Zane Cook,
Mark Reineke, and a two-run double from
Chase Cichocki to seize a commanding 7–1 lead.
Hood steadily chipped away, plating three runs in the third and tying the game at 7–7 in the fourth. The Gators' offense went quiet through the middle innings before the Blazers took their first lead in the seventh, capitalizing on defensive miscues to go ahead 10–7.
Notre Dame responded in dramatic fashion in the bottom half of the seventh.
Brendan Altman delivered a clutch two-run double, and the Gators took advantage of multiple errors to score seven runs in the inning and reclaim a 14–10 advantage.
The lead would not hold. Hood answered with three runs in the eighth and exploded for five more in the ninth to surge back in front, 18–14.
Facing a four-run deficit in the final frame, Notre Dame mounted one last rally.
Hunter Beil sparked the comeback with a solo home run, and
Tyler Holton later added a two-run single to bring the Gators within one. However, the tying run never crossed as Hood recorded the final out to secure the 18–17 victory.
Offensively, Notre Dame produced 13 hits and showed balance throughout the lineup. Altman led the way with three hits and two RBIs, while Cichocki added two hits and two RBIs. Holton drove in two runs, and Beil's late pinch hit home run provided a final spark.
Despite the offensive output, defensive struggles proved costly, as six errors led to multiple unearned runs in a game where every play mattered.
Notre Dame will look to regroup after the tough loss, building on its offensive production while tightening up defensively heading into its next contest.They will return to United East Conference play when they host Valley Forge on Saturday, March 21 for a doubleheader starting at 12 PM.
