SOUTH BEND, Ind. – On a three-game winning streak, the Notre Dame Softball team heads back out east to compete in the Battle at the Beach in Conway, South Carolina. The tournament is being held at St. John Softball Stadium on the campus of Coastal Carolina.
The Irish split last weekend’s NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Florida. After dropping the first three of the weekend, Notre Dame bounced back with consecutive wins over 15th-ranked Missouri, Penn State and Bethune-Cookman.
First-year Head Coach Kris Ganeff became the first coach in Notre Dame Softball history to beat a ranked opponent for her first win (#15 Missouri) on a Jane Kronenberger two-run walkoff home run to left.
Following a tough opening three games, the Irish pitching staff turned it around to salvage the weekend. Micaela Kastor and Kami Kamzik both tossed complete game winning efforts. Kastor was named to the All-Tournament Team, while Kamzik leads the team with a 2.44 ERA after the first weekend.
Offensively, Addison Amaral paced the Irish. She leads the team with a .375 batting average, six hits and six RBI. Amaral was named to the NFCA Top Performance of the Week list. Sydny Poeck hit two doubles last weekend while Mickey Winchell hit .364 in five games.
All six Irish freshmen made their debuts in Clearwater. Kaia Cortes started all six games at first, driving in a pair, while O’Brien started five games at third and stole a base.
Battle at the Beach Preview
Marist – Friday, Feb. 14 at 2:30 p.m.
Marist is coming off a 4-1 start at the Texan Classic last weekend. The Red Fox are ranked 15th in the D1 Softball mid-major poll.
Miah McDonald leads the team with 10 hits and 8 RBI on the season. As a team Marist is hitting .359 on the young season and slugging .570.
Coastal Carolina – Friday Feb. 14 at 5 p.m.
Coastal Carolina hosted the Kickin’ Chicken Classic last weekend, facing Creighton and Purdue Fort Wayne State twice before hosting North Carolina in a midweek clash. The Chanticleers are 3-2 after last night’s 16-11 loss to the Tar Heels.
Coastal has five players hitting above .400 to start the season and three players with two home runs each. In the circle, Nicolette Picone has steadied the Chanticleers with a 2.28 ERA and 11 strikeouts.
Towson – Saturday, Feb. 15 at 9:15 a.m. and Sunday, Feb. 16 at 11:15 a.m.
Towson opened up the season at the Terrier Invite in Spartansburg, South Carolina. The Tigers went 2-3, beating Youngstown State twice.
Towson as a team has notched 33 hits and 24 RBI, 12 of them coming in the win against Youngstown State.
Kent State – Saturday, Feb. 15 at 2:15 p.m.
Kent State is also 2-3 on the year. The Golden Flashes posted wins against East Tennessee State and UMass last weekend at the Camel Stampede.
Delaney Roberson is hitting .667 through her four games, leading the team in doubles (2) and RBI (6).
Live stats will be available for every game at the Battle of the Beach this weekend. All games against Coastal Carolina will be streamed on ESPN+, including Friday night’s clash between the Irish and the Chanticleers at 5 p.m.