LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Notre Dame softball team secured the series with a 13-6 victory over the Louisville Cardinals Friday night at Ulmer Stadium in Louisville. The Fighting Irish offense put up crooked numbers in each of the first four innings as they cruised to their seventh ACC win of the season. The Irish improve to 23-10-1 and 7-6-1 in ACC play. Louisville falls to 24-12, and 9-4 in ACC action.
The win is number 848 for head coach Deanna Gumpf, tying her for the most wins all-time by a head coach at Notre Dame with Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame head coach Muffet McGraw.
Shannon Becker started in the circle. The sophomore threw the first 1.2 innings, allowing four hits and three earned runs. Micaela Kastor picked up the win in relief, throwing 5.1 innings, scattering five hits, three earned runs and striking out five.
The Irish offense was led by junior Karina Gaskins. Gaskins finished 2-for-3 with four RBI, scored two runs and hit her team-leading 11th home run of the season. Carlli Kloss added a 3-for-4 effort with a triple, three RBI and scored twice. Joley Mitchell finished 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Mickey Winchell added a two-hit effort, driving in two. Macie Eck and Brooke Marquez each added a hit as Eck scored three times, Marquez once and both drove in a run.
How It Happened
The Irish jumped on top early, manufacturing three runs in the first inning. A Kloss single and a well-placed bunt single from Mitchell put runners on the corners. Gaskins got handcuffed on an inside pitch, but muscled it to shallow left to score one and move Mitchell to third. Emily Tran pinch ran for Gaskins and stole second. A fielder’s choice at the shortstop brought in a run as Mitchell slid into home safe for the second run, putting runners on the corners again. With another pinch runner, the Irish tried the double steal attempt, but had the runner going to second erased, allowing the runner on third to score on the play.
Louisville brought a run in during their half of the first, using a bases loaded hit-by-pitch to cut the lead to 3-1.
Notre Dame kept the pressure on in the second, scoring five more runs. Eck led the inning off with a double and moved to third with a single to right from Marquez. Kloss drove in two, singling past the shortstop who was playing in. Mitchell added a single to left to put two on for Gaskins who left the yard for the 11th time this season, pushing the lead to 8-1.
The Cardinals again had an answer in the bottom of the second. With two outs, back-to-back singles ignited the rally. A walk loaded the bases for Taylor Roby who drove a single to left to bring in a pair and cut the lead to 10-3.
After holding Louisville scoreless in the third, Notre Dame tacked on three more in the fourth. Two walks and a fielder’s choice loaded the bases as another walk brought in a run. Another fielder’s choice scored the second run of the inning. Winchell drove in the third run of the frame with a single off the first baseman’s outstretched hand, bringing in Eck and extending the lead to 13-3.
Louisville ran two home in the bottom of the fourth. A walk and a single put two on for Sarah Gordon who doubled down the left field line to score one and put a runner on third. A sacrifice fly to left brought in another run to cut the lead to 13-5.
Louisville extended the game with a run in the bottom of the fifth. Both teams went scoreless over the next two innings as the Irish earned the 13-6 victory.
Up Next
The Irish look to complete their first conference sweep of the season a they take on the Cardinals at 2 p.m. on ACC Network tomorrow.