One of the most famous quotes in sports, legendary Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver coined the universal quote that “Momentum is the next day’s starting pitcher.”

It doesn’t seem like the Bishop McNamara baseball team is too familiar with that idea though.

A day after exploding for six home runs and 18 runs in the front end of their two-game set with Marian Central on the road, the Fightin’ Irish came home Friday and plated another 18 runs and saw senior ace Callaghan O’Connor twirl a two-hitter in an 18-3 four-inning Chicagoland Christian Conference win.

Junior infielder Nick Pignatiello, who hit two of those homers on Thursday, including the go-ahead grand slam in their 18-14 win, was one of five Irish hitters with a multi-hit day, going 2 for 2 with a double, a pair of walks, two RBIs and three runs.

“My first three at-bats yesterday I was looking for home run, home run, then the last two I was just going for line drives,” Pignatiello said. “That’s what I stayed with today. Just hitting line drives and trying to make something happen.”

Coen Demack, who also hit a grand slam Thursday, led the Irish bats Friday by going 4 for 4 with two triples, a double, three runs and three RBIs. Ian Irps, Sam Boyd and Gavin Wren each had a pair of hits, with Irps scoring four runs, Boyd driving in a pair and scoring once and Wren scoring twice and driving in a run.

After Marian Central starter Will Hamill helped his own cause with an RBI groundout in the top of the first, the Irish exploded with an eight-run first of their own to set the tone.

Demack had the first of two triples and four hits with one out in the first Friday, the first of six straight baserunners in the opening frame.

O’Connor, who homered thrice on Thursday, drove him in with a screaming single up the middle and after scoring on a Pignatiello hit, he had a lot of downtime before he flew out to end the first and came back on the mound for the second.

He hit Colin Kowalsky, who later scored on a fielder’s choice, on the first pitch of that second and then a Conor Brandt single, but was otherwise dialed in. Brandt’s hit was the last one he allowed, allowing an earned run on two hits, two walks and five strikeouts.

“Just trust in my stuff, attacking,” O’Connor said was the key to his game Friday. “I wouldn’t say I did my best job of it. I was wild in some situations, but just trying to keep on the attack and not let it phase me at all, whatever happened.”

Despite the lopsided margin, the Irish did find some things to clean up, such as some outs on the base paths and all three Hurricanes runs coming off of leadoff walks or hit batters. O’Connor, a key cog on last year’s team that won the conference and played for a sectional title, knows how vital staying engaged and improving in those margins can be.

“You get to the postseason, you’re not going to have these games where it’s 18-3,” O’Connor said. “You need to have the details and everything else up to date because if you don’t you could lose those 3-2 ballgames. That’s been our curse this year it seems, those 3-2 games.”

The Irish lost 3-2 to All-City rival Bradley-Bourbonnais last month and to Chicago Christian on Monday despite the fact that the Irish threw a combined no-hitter.

Since Monday’s loss, the Irish rebounded for three straight conference wins and have now won five of their last six games.

“You don’t carry bad games with you,” Pignatiello said. “You just flip the page and start fresh. We’re a good team. We’ve had our ups and downs, we just need to lock in and stay together.”

And with catcher Braylon Ricketts and Nolan Smith out and infielder Gavin Jones held to DH-only duties due to injury, Irish coach Aaron Fuerst knows that the bit of a hot streak they’re on is coming at an opportune time.

“There’s always something to learn, and for us it’s just about trying to stay healthy,” Fuerst said. “We’ve been banged up, had to fight through adversity early and we’re thin. It’s a challenge every night, but I think we’re starting to put it together.”

The Irish (9-4, 3-1) will look to stay hot when they visit St. Edward on Monday. The Hurricanes (0-9, 0-2) are also at home Monday, hosting Chicago Christian.