SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame softball team earned a 4-3 walk-off victory to complete the three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series sweep over the visiting North Carolina Tar Heels Sunday afternoon. The top of the order loaded the bases in the seventh for freshman Jane Kronenberger who worked a five-pitch walk to bring in the game-winning run. The Fighting Irish improve to 35-9 with the victory and are 13-5 in league play.
Shannon Becker got the start in the circle, throwing 4.0 innings. Becker allowed just four hits, one unearned run and a strikeout in a no-decision. Payton Tidd earned her 14th win of the season, throwing the final 3.0 innings, giving up four hits, two earned runs and struck out three.
The Irish offense picked up 11 hits in the win, led by a trio of three-hit performances. Emma Clark, Leea Hanks finished 2-for-4 and Joley Mitchell added a 2-for-3 performance. Kronenberger finished 1-for-3 with a team-best two RBI in the win.
The Tar Heels struck fist, scoring an unearned run in the third. A lead-off single moved up on a sacrifice bunt and brought up the top of the lineup. The lead-off hitter hit a two-hop chopper to short where it kicked off the glove of the Irish infielder and rolled into left field, allowing the pinch runner to score from second on the error.
A lead-off double from Karina Gaskins and a single from Kronenberger tied the game in the fourth before the Irish took the lead in the fifth. Another lead-off double, this time from Miranda Johnson, started the rally. Sarah Genz pinch hit and dropped down a sacrifice bunt and the throw to get her at first was off the mark. Clark drove a double over the head of the North Carolina center fielder to score Genz and the Irish took a 3-1 lead.
North Carolina responded in the top of the sixth with a two-run home run from Taylor Greene to tie the game at three.
Notre Dame threatened in the sixth with a one-out double from Mitchell. Tidd followed with a sharply hit single to center field, but Mitchell was thrown out trying to score from second.
In the seventh, three-straight singles loaded the bases with one out. After a strikeout for the second out, Kronenberger dug in. She saw the first two pitches out of the zone before fouling off a pitch. She stayed patient, seeing two more pitches out of the zone to draw her first walk of the season and score Sweet from third for the walk-off victory.
Up Next
The Irish are back in action with a pair of midweek games, taking on Toledo on Tuesday and Purdue Wednesday, each with 5 p.m. first pitches.