Amaral, Irish Walk Off Pitt

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Notre Dame Softball team walked off the Pittsburgh Panthers Friday afternoon 5-4 in seven innings at Melissa Cook Stadium on the first game of Strikeout Cancer Weekend. Notre Dame is now 17-20-1 on the season and improve to 5-8 in conference play.

Addison Amaral was the hero for the Irish, lacing a ball over the third base bag and into the corner for the game-winning hit that scored Emily Tran who was on third after leading off the bottom of the seventh with a walk.

Amaral was 3/4 on the day, including a solo home run in the third for the first run of the game. She finished with three runs batted in and two runs scored to go along with her opposite-field double that she hit in the fifth inning. The shortstop raised her average to .402 on the season and .464 in 10 home games. The three hits and three RBI on the day tied a career-high.

Kami Kamzik made her 12th start of the season and threw a gem. The sophomore went 6 innings, spreading out 5 hits and only allowing one run. She struck out five on the day.

Olivia Levitt slashed an RBI double in the fourth inning for the second Notre Dame run. The Irish tacked two more on in the next inning with an Amaral double and a Rachel Allen RBI single.

Pittsburgh didn’t give up after falling behind 4-0 in the fifth. The Panthers scratched across a run in the sixth and another in to start off the seventh with a bases-loaded walk. With two outs and two strikes, Ana Hernandez grounded a ball back up the middle to tie up the game at 4-all.

Notre Dame had the top of the order to begin the bottom of the seventh. Tran worked a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a passed ball before Caroline O’Brien laid down a perfect sac bunt to get Tran to third. That’s when Amaral stepped in and whacked a 1-0 pitch down the line for the Irish win.

Notre Dame will turn around and look to go for the series win tomorrow at 1 p.m. Orange rally towels will be given to fans before the game as the Irish continue to promote Strikeout Cancer.