CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Senior Payton Tidd led a dominate Irish performance in the final contest of the Green and Gold Classic, hosted by Charlotte Sunday afternoon. Notre Dame defeated the host 49ers 16-1 in five innings at Sue M. Daughtridge Stadium. Tidd led the way with 4.0 innings of work in the circle, and added a 3-for-3 performance at the plate. The Irish improve to 5-0 with the win, closing out a perfect opening weekend. Charlotte falls to 5-1.
Tidd surrendered just one hit in her outing in the circle, striking out three, allowing an earned run and earned her first win of the season. Alexis Holloway threw the final inning, picking up a strikeout.
Nine different players had a hit for the Irish offense that connected on 17 during the contest. Five had multi-hit contests, led by a 4-for-4 effort from Abby Sweet. Tidd finished 3-for-3 with four RBI, three runs scored, two doubles and a home run. Sweet tallied a pair of doubles, three RBI and scored twice. Leea Hanks and Karina Gaskins each finished with a pair of hits and two RBI. Miranda Johnson drove in two with a double, and Anna Holloway added an RBI.
Notre Dame jumped all over Charlotte pitching in the first inning, sending 14 hitters to the dish, plating nine runs on eight hits. Sweet, Clark, Hanks and Gaskins each reached base twice in the frame. Johnson added a two RBI double, Tidd with a two RBI double and Sweet drove in a run in her second at bat of the frame. Anna Holloway and Gaskins each added an RBI in the frame as well.
The Irish added five more runs in the top of the second. Tidd hit a no-doubter to drive in two before Mitchell and Anna Holloway doubled and singled, respectively to turn the lineup over. Sweet singled up the middle to bring a run in. After a pitching change, an error allowed another run to score before Gaskins hit another single to put the Irish up 14-0.
Notre Dame added two more runs in the third on a Sweet double to extend the lead to 16-0.
Charlotte got their first hit of the contest in the fourth inning, plating a run.
Up Next
The Irish are back in action at the St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational next week, opening the weekend against Tennessee at 10 a.m. on the 17th before taking on Wisconsin at 6:30 that evening.