Notre Dame baseball: USF goes distance to beat Irish

SOUTH BEND — One day after playing in the longest game in Big East history, 20th-ranked South Florida again clipped Notre Dame in extra innings, 4-3, Saturday, thanks to a three-run 10th-inning by the Bulls.

Jimmy Falla had four hits for South Florida, including an RBI single to center in the top of the 10th that was misplayed, leading to another run. The Bulls added a sacrifice fly in the inning.

Notre Dame’s Trey Mancini had a chance with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th with the Irish (27-19, 7-10 Big East) trailing by one.

With the count full, Mancini hit a line drive up the middle but South Florida (31-15, 15-2) relief pitcher Jordan Strittmatter snagged the liner to end the game and earn his first save of the season.

Adam Norton (9-2) gave the beleaguered Irish bullpen a rest with a 10-inning, 123-pitch complete game. He gave up four runs — two earned — on 12 hits with a walk and six strikeouts.

Mancini and Frank DeSico each finished 2-for-6, and Mac Hudgins had two hits, including a double, for Notre Dame.

Nick Gonzalez, Lawrence Pardo (8), Chad Taylor (9, W, 1-0), Jordan Strittmatter (10, S, 1); Adam Norton (L, 9-2).

2B: Kyle Teaf (SF), Mac Hudgins (ND), Trey Mancini (ND).

Records: South Florida 31-15 (15-2 Big East), Notre Dame 27-19 (7-10 Big East).