PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The University of Notre Dame softball team completed the three-game sweep over the Pittsburgh Panthers Saturday afternoon at Vartabedian Field, winning the finale 8-2. The series sweep is the first in just two attempts against Atlantic Coast Conference competition in 2022, and the first since sweeping Boston College in a three-game set to close the 2021 regular season. Notre Dame improves to 22-6 and 4-2 in ACC play with the win.
All three Irish pitchers combined for the victory. Alexis Holloway got the start, throwing 2.2 innings, allowing five hits, two earned runs and struck out three before giving way to Payton Tidd. Tidd worked the next 2.1 innings, allowing just two hits to go with a strikeout as she earned her seventh win of the season. Becker picked up her second save of the season, working the final 2.0 innings, allowing just two hits and struck out four.
Karina Gaskins was the catalyst for the Irish offense, going 3-for-3 with three RBI, three runs scored, drove in three and hit a home run. Emma Clark and Jane Kronenberger each added two hit games, Clark scored twice while Kronenberger drove in three with two doubles. Leea Hanks hit her first home run of the season to drive in two in the seventh. Abby Sweet, Joley Mitchell and Tidd all added a hit in the win.
The Irish didn’t waste any time, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning. After a single from Clark and a double by Sweet and a 20-minute rain delay, Gaskins dropped a single to shallow right to bring in the first run of the game. Kronenberger drove a double past the third baseman to score Sweet from third and Gaskins from first as Notre Dame took the 3-0 lead.
Notre Dame added a run in the top of the third as Gaskins was walked with two outs. Kronenberger lifted a high fly ball to left field where the wind pushed it back towards center field and it found the ground, bringing in a run.
A two-out rally got Pitt on the board in the bottom of the third inning. The top of the order got it rolling with a single up the middle before Cami Compson homered to left to cut the lead to 4-2, Irish.
The Irish extended the lead back out to three as Gaskins took an outside pitch the other way for her seventh home run of the season.
Notre Dame continued to add insurance runs in the seventh. Tidd led off with a single and scored when Hanks turned on an inside pitch for the two-run homer. Gaskins drove in another insurance run with a single in the seventh.
Pitt put a couple runners on in the seventh, but Becker locked in and got the strikeout to preserve the victory.
Up Next
The Irish will return for 10-straight games at Melissa Cook Stadium. The Irish continue midweek play with a Tuesday matchup with UIC before taking on DePaul Wednesday evening.