Final Stats

SAN ANTONIO - Behind a dominant starting pitching effort by Trevor Houck and an explosive hitting performance, the Lafayette baseball team clawed its way past Notre Dame 10-2 in the first game of the Irish Alamo Invitational.

Houck was in control all afternoon and tossed a career-high eight innings of one-hit ball while fanning a career-best seven batters. The senior captain was flawless through five innings and despite giving up a pair of runs in the sixth, responded by tossing two additional no-hit innings en route to his first win of the season. For the game, Houck was practically untouchable and tallied seven 1-2-3 innings.

The 10 runs put up by the Leopards (1-0) was the most by a Lafayette team in a season opener since the 2001 season, when the Maroon and White plated 19. The bats were firing on all cylinders as the Leopards had 11 hits that included three doubles and a pair of home runs. Alex Woinski went 2-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs, a homer and three runs scored.

John Selsor and Luke Robinson followed Woinski in the order and each recorded three hits. Selsor drove in three runs and hit a homer, while Robinson had a pair of RBIs and a run scored. The key to the offensive outburst was the Leopards' ability to stay patient at the plate and work the counts. Notre Dame (0-1) was forced to cycle through six pitchers and issued 12 walks, allowing the Leopards to have runners on for their big bats in the order.

To start the game, the top three hitters in the Lafayette order struck out swinging, but Dan Leckie reached safely after the ball scooted past the catcher and an error ensued. Following a wild pitch and a walk, Selsor came up and shot a ball up the middle to give the Leopards the early 1-0 advantage.

In the third, Woinski drew a base on balls and with one out in the inning, Selsor blasted a two-run shot over the fence in left field. The Leopards continued to attack and loaded the bases after back-to-back singles by Robinson and Patrick Nelson, and a walk by Spencer Rouse. Quentin Bubb was due up next and he singled to the left side of the field and a run came in to score to put Lafayette up 4-0.

The Leopards would go on to add a fifth run in the top of the fourth on a Robinson RBI bunt single to second, before Woinski sent a booming shot to left over the fence for a three-run home run in the fifth inning.

Through five innings of work, Houck was unhittable, not allowing a single Fighting Irish player to get on the bases. With two outs in the fifth, Nick Podkul sent a screaming shot off the bat into right center, but Robinson made the diving grab to preserve what was a perfect game at that time.

However, after the leadoff batter was hit by a pitch and the following batter drew a walk to begin the sixth, Cole Daily sent an RBI double down the left field line to get Notre Dame on the board. A couple of batters later, the Fighting Irish added another run on a sacrifice fly to deep center by Kyle Fiala to trim the deficit to seven, 9-2.

In the seventh, Woinski led things off with a double to right and he scored once Robinson shot a ball into left center for a double of his own to bring the lead to eight.

After pitching a perfect eighth inning, Houck was lifted from the game and freshman Connor Jones came in and closed out things in the ninth to seal the 10-2 victory for the Leopards.

Lafayette will remain on the field to play Saint Louis in the second game of the Irish Alamo Invitational at 4 p.m.