SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Leading off the bottom of the sixth with a 2-2 count, freshman Avery Houlihan’s first career homer that sailed over the right field fence was the difference in Notre Dame Softball’s 1-0 win over Valparaiso Wednesday evening at Melissa Cook Stadium. The Irish are now 23-26-1 on the year and riding a three-game winning streak heading into this weekend.
Houlihan is the sixth Notre Dame softball player to hit their first career home run and the 11th different player to leave the yard this season. Three freshmen have homers in their rookie seasons (Kaia Cortes, Rebecca Eckart, Houlihan).
FIRST CAREER 💣🚨
💻 ACCNX | @A_Houlihan2024 pic.twitter.com/SzgEsiVIaT
— Notre Dame Softball (@NDsoftball) April 23, 2025
Shannon Becker and Brianne Weiss combined for the shutout for Notre Dame, the seventh of the season by Irish pitching. Becker tossed 4.0 innings, only allowing three hits while also striking out three. Weiss got the win in 3.0 relief innings, striking out two. In the top of the sixth, Weiss escaped a bases loaded, no out jam that kept the Beacons scoreless.
.@BrianneWeiss06 gets out of the bases loaded, no outs jam to keep this one scoreless
💻 ACCNX pic.twitter.com/f3ztj2zCYU
— Notre Dame Softball (@NDsoftball) April 23, 2025
Notre Dame has now won three in a row and will host North Carolina this weekend in the last ACC series of the season before welcoming 5th-ranked Oregon to South Bend in for a rare Monday game. Saturday’s game will be senior day as the Irish will honor Rachel Allen, Becker, Anna Holloway, Jane Kronenberger, Alexis Laudenslager and Emily Tran.