Golden ticket to Omaha
Notre Dame stuns top-seeded Tennessee to earn first CWS appearance since 2002
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Freshman Jack Findlay threw five shutout innings in relief and backto-back home runs by catcher David LaManna and Jack Brannigan in the seventh sparked Notre Dame to a stunning 7-3 victory over No. 1 overall seed Tennessee in the championship game of the Knoxville Super Regional on Sunday.
Notre Dame (40-15) will be making just its third College World Series appearance. The Fighting Irish’s other trips came in 1957 and 2002.
Findlay (6-2) worked out of a jam after entering the game in the bottom of the fifth inning with nobody out, a run in and a runner on second, trailing 3-1. Findlay held the Volunteers in check from there, allowing a single and two walks, while striking out four. He ended the game with a double play.
Findlay’s efforts on the mound gave Notre Dame the opportunity to rally.
Carter Putz doubled off Volunteers starter Chase Burns (8-2) with one out in the top of the seventh and scored on LaManna’s two-out shot to right field to tie the game at 3-3. Brannigan followed with a go-ahead shot to left-center on a 1-2 pitch.
Findlay retired the side in order and Notre Dame added three big insurance runs in the eighth.
Camden Sewell hit Brooks Coetzee with a pitch to open the inning. Spencer Myers’ sacrifice bunt moved Coetzee to second. Ryan Cole reached first and Coetzee held on a throwing error by Vols third baseman Trey Lipscomb. Kirby Connell replaced Sewell and the runners advanced on a sac bunt by Jared Miller. Putz hit the first pitch he saw for a two-run double and Jack Zyska singled in Putz to cap the scoring. All three runs were unearned.