SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame softball team cruised to an 8-0 five-inning win over the Toledo Rockets Tuesday night at Melissa Cook Stadium. The Fighting Irish scored six runs in the first two innings and held Toledo to just two hits in the contest. The 20th-ranked Irish improve to 36-9 on the season.
Alexis Holloway started in the circle, throwing the first 3.0 innings. She allowed two hits and struck out four as she earned her 13th win of the season. Payton Tidd threw the final 2.0 innings in relief, striking out four.
Eight of nine starters in the Irish lineup knocked out a base hit. Leea Hanks led the team with a 2-for-2 performance, driving in two and scoring three times. Abby Sweet went 1-for-2 with three runs scored at the top of the lineup. Karina Gaskins finished 1-for-2 with three RBI, scored a run and hit her team-leading 11th home run of the season.
The Irish got the scoring started in the bottom of the first. Sweet got it going with a single to center and stole second. A ground ball moved her up, and Hanks delivered a double to left field for the first run. After a delayed steal gave Hanks third base, and a walk put runners on the corners, Gaskins stayed in a rundown between first and second long enough for Hanks to score and the Irish to take the 2-0 lead.
Notre Dame scored four more in the second. After Sweet reached on a fielder’s choice, Clark singled and Hanks brought Sweet in with a single that landed just on the outfield grass behind third base. With two on, Gaskins took the 3-2 pitch off the scoreboard in left center to drive in three and put Notre Dame up 6-0.
Two more runs in the fourth put the game away. Sweet started the inning with a walk and stole second. A ground ball moved her up and a walk to Hanks put runners on the corners. Hanks and Sweet worked the double steal to perfection to score the first run of the inning. Kronenberger delivered the eighth run with a double to the base of the wall in left center.
Up Next
The Irish have nine days off before resuming Atlantic Coast Conference play with the Louisville Cardinals in the final home series of 2022 May 6-8 at Melissa Cook Stadium.