The most exciting game of the series manifested itself in game 2 of this three game set between the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame and Illinois.

In the first of two road trips that the Irish will take this spring season, the Notre Dame bats could not catch up to the hot start that Illinois seemed to get off to in each of the three games this past weekend, April 2nd and 3rd. Game 2 saw a hard-fought match that came down to the wire, eventually being won in walk-off fashion for the home squad. Two Illinois runs answered the Irish’s two in the bottom of the seventh to seal the deal and clinch the series.

Emmett Wilmes tallied four total bases on two hits and a double with two RBIs and one run scored across the weekend series. Mike Cyrocki and Mike McMannon both turned in impressive pitching performances over six combined innings in game 2, with Cyrocki allowing 3 total runs, 2 earned, and McMannon with zero earned or unearned runs. The bats for the Irish, however, remained inconsistent, and errors, once again, reared their costly, ugly heads in this three game set. No where else was this more prevalent than in Tom Peterson’s two innings on the bump, where five runs were allowed, all of which were unearned.

The Irish look to find some consistency in their hitting and sure up their defensive play before taking on Ball State University at home this weekend, April 9th and 10th.