Baseball Walks Off Notre Dame, 6-5, Saturday for First ACC Win

Saturday, March 7

Durham, N.C.

1 p.m.

Duke University

13-4

Notre Dame

8-4

Notre Dame

Duke

Photo by: Duke Athletics

Baseball Walks Off Notre Dame, 6-5, Saturday for First ACC Win

3/7/2026 4:28:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

DURHAM, N.C. – The Duke baseball team scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to walk off Notre Dame, 6-5, Saturday afternoon inside Jack Coombs Field. RJ Hamilton finished with three hits, including the game-tying triple in the ninth, while Kaden Smith registered an infield single to push home the winning run for the Blue Devils. Matthew Strand and Jake Lambdin added home runs on the afternoon.

Duke head coach Corey Muscara collected his first ACC victory with the win. The Blue Devils improved to 13-4 overall and 1-1 in the ACC, while Notre Dame dropped to 8-4, 1-1.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Duke struck first in the bottom of the first inning as Tyler Albright walked with two outs and came home on Kaden Smith's first career triple to right center.
Notre Dame responded with three runs in the top of the second to take a 3-1 advantage. Noah Coy registered a two-out, two-run triple to break a 1-1 tie and push the Fighting Irish ahead.
Duke graduate student Matthew Strand blasted his second home run of the season and third of his career in the bottom of the fourth to cut into the Irish lead at 4-2. It marked Strand's second home run of the weekend.
In the bottom of the seventh, Duke junior Jake Lambdin sent his third home run of the year over the left field wall to bring the Blue Devils within one, 4-3.
Trailing 5-3 in the bottom of the ninth, Duke's Coltin Quagliano doubled the right center with one out to start the rally. Collin Anderson reached on a throwing error from the Irish. After a groundout plated Quagliano, Hamilton registered his third hit of the day with a two-out triple to right center, scoring Anderson to even the score at 5-5. After an Albright walk, Smith laced a hard grounder to third base that scored Anderson for the Blue Devils' winning run.
Matthew Nochowitz started for Duke, scattered six hits and allowed four runs in 3.1 innings.
Peter Lemke came in relief and was impressive by striking out five in 2.2 shutout innings.
Ben Dean pitched the final 1.1 innings for Duke and earned the win, as he struck out three batters. He is now 3-0 on the season in four appearances.
Over nine innings, Duke pitchers struck out 10 Irish batters, which marks the eighth time this season the Blue Devils have totaled 10 or more strikeouts.
Caden Crowell went five innings for Notre Dame allowing two runs and struck out five.