Fighting Irish defeat Seminoles 5-3, to face Cavaliers in semifinals

May 27, 2022

Playing the No. 9 seed Florida State Seminoles on Thursday afternoon at Truist Field in the ACC Tournament, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish came out victorious, defeating the Seminoles 5-3.

The victory propelled the Fighting Irish to the semifinals, while the Seminoles will have to wait until Monday next week for the NCAA Tournament selections.

Notre Dame made history as the team landed a spot in the ACC semifinals for the first time. The Fighting Irish went out on eight strong innings, allowing only a single run. The victory was also thanks to the team’s home run battery.

Defeating Seminoles

Notre Dame is having one of its best journeys in the ACC Tournament. The Fighting Irish’s hard labor was in no way a trivial feat.

Before taking on the Seminoles, the team was 33-13, ranking them No. 16 in Division I, just behind the Virginia Cavaliers. Notre Dame is now 34-13 and is also a No. 4 seed. Meanwhile, Florida is 33-23 and has just been dropped out from the standings, along with the Vanderbilt Commodores and the University of Connecticut Huskies.

Notre Dame’s gig on Thursday was admirable. The team witnessed a decent number of its starter players shining throughout the game, including starters Parker Messick and John Michael Bertrand. Bertrand struck out eight and in the eight innings, he only allowed five hits. The starter’s stellar attempt earn the Fighting Irish a 5-1 lead over Florida.

Not long after Bertrand made his remarkable stunt, Seminoles hitter Brock Mathis hammered an almost home run hit off the wall. Mathis was only a little foot away from his bat to have a home run recorded. He scored two, regardless.

The Fighting Irish returned the favor by pulling out Alex Rao to field Tyler Martin straight to the retirement list for a third save mark. Additionally, Notre Dame trio Zack Prajzner, Jack Zyska, and Brooks Coetzee were credited for a choke-full of home runs and long hit balls.

Florida did not go out without a proper fight. The Seminoles made full base appearances without having to suffer a single out in the bottom of the fourth.

Prajzner recorded a solo shot, while Zyska and Coetzee registered two home runs. The matchup was a special one for Zyska as the player landed his 10th home run in the fourth inning. The trio was remarkable, to say the least. Coetzee’s home run was in fifth, and he attempted another in 11th as Prajzner led the team with his double.

Fighting Irish to play Cavaliers in semifinal

After forcing Florida to a defeat, Notre Dame is now slated to play Virginia for a reserved spot in the championship. The semifinal game between the two also marked their first-ever game this season. Season record-wise, the Fighting Irish made a far more promising track compared to the Cavaliers.

Both Notre Dame and No. 5 seed Virginia will play their final game in Pool Play Friday this week. If Notre Dame clutch Friday’s matchup, the team will play the Pool A winner on Saturday.

Jake
Jake Williams
Jake Williams is a sports gambling expert. He's been writing in the sports betting and DFS industry for over a decade. He specializes in MLB and NBA, along with College Basketball and College Football.