May 18, 2018
LEXINGTON, Ky. – From the very first inning of Friday’s game, the University of Notre Dame softball team remained in control on the scoreboard against perennial national contender Michigan. Run-scoring plays off the bats of Morgan Reed, Melissa Rochford and Cait Brooks, and a battle in the pitching circle from Alexis Holloway in her first career NCAA Championship start, was the difference for the Irish in a 4-1 win over No. 17 Michigan in game one of the NCAA Lexington Regional at John Cropp Stadium.
Notre Dame (33-21), the three seed in the NCAA Lexington Regional, advances into Saturday’s winner’s bracket round against the winner of top-seeded Kentucky and fourth-seeded UIC at 3 p.m. (ET). Television coverage for that game will be announced as soon as it is available, stay tuned to @NDSoftball on Twitter for more updates.
After splitting a pair of games with Michigan (43-12) in each of the last two seasons, including in February as part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge in Tallahassee, Florida, Notre Dame had already taken a major step toward solving past series struggles with the Wolverines. Friday’s historic win was not only the first for the Irish against Michigan in NCAA tournament play since a 1-0 shutout in Ann Arbor on May 21, 1999, it also marked the first time since 1994 that Notre Dame will finish a given year as winners of two or more games against Michigan in the same season.
After the Wolverines enjoyed a 14-game winning streak from 2000 through 2016 in the series (nine games in the NCAA Championship) Notre Dame has now won two straight, along with three of the past five meetings.
“I think that what we saw today was a team that prepared really well to be here, that really just kept the game in perspective, took control from the very beginning and really kept the momentum our way,” Notre Dame head coach Deanna Gumpf said.
The Irish advance into the winner’s bracket of an NCAA Regional for the first time since 2014, when an 8-0 win over Long Beach State in six innings propelled Notre Dame onward at the NCAA Los Angeles Regional. Notre Dame claimed its seventh all-time win against a top-25 foe in NCAA Regional play by way of the victory, and the second against Michigan after downing the No. 5 Wolverines in the aforementioned decision in 1999.
The game was delayed for more than two hours in the bottom of the fifth inning due to heavy rain and lightning that moved into the Lexington area. The teams retook the field once the skies had cleared, and after Michigan scraped out a leadoff hit Notre Dame was able to retire the side.
“We just kept rolling,” Holloway said. “We were in a good spot going into the break, (and) I thought we were in a really good spot coming out of the break. We stayed loose in the locker room and were having a good time, and then Coach (Gumpf) told us that we were ready to go and we got up and got our minds focused again and kept rolling.”
Ali Wester and Abby Sweet led all batters with two base hits during the game, with Wester scoring both times and Sweet adding one run. Reed, Brooks and Holloway also contributed hits to the Notre Dame cause, while Reed added one run scored.
In her debut in the NCAA tournament, Holloway (21-13) tossed a three-hitter while carrying a shutout through 6.2 innings. She allowed six walks but stranded eight Michigan runners on base, punching two out on strikes. Only two Michigan runners advanced past second base during the entire game.
“Honestly, what we’ve realized with Alexis is that we have to stick with her strengths,” Gumpf said of Holloway’s outing. “There’s always a couple of hitters that we’re going to attack a little bit differently than others, but if you know Alexis’s game then you’ll realize it really doesn’t matter who the opponent is. We’re going to go with her strengths.”
How It Happened
Notre Dame struck quickly with a run on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning. Ali Wester reached by way of a fielding error to lead off the game, and moved into scoring position on an Abby Sweet single to right field. Morgan Reed sacrificed both runners along with a bunt, and Cait Brooks was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Melissa Rochford. A deep drive to right center was caught for out number two, but allowed Wester to score for the 1-0 Notre Dame lead.
“I think that first run is crucial, that really gets the ball moving,” Reed said. “The momentum was going our direction, and taking control early is exactly what we strive to do every game. When you take it early, then you already put them (opposing teams) back on their heels.”
Holloway made quick work of the Wolverines in the bottom of the first frame. A groundout to Rochford at third base, a flyout to Alexis Bazos in right and a strikeout looking on a 3-2 offering sat the Michigan lineup down in order.
Notre Dame was unable to capitalize on a two-out single in the top of the second, but the defense once again was up to the task. An infield single and walk were erased by a pair of outs to Katie Marino at second base and a fly ball to Sweet in center.
Michigan looked to get the offense going with a one-out walk in the bottom of the third inning, but Holloway and the Irish defense stepped up again. A fly ball to Sweet in center, and a great snag on a liner at third base by Rochford stoned the Wolverine rally.
The rains came after Michigan was able to escape a jam of its own with the bases loaded in the top of the fifth inning, with Notre Dame still ahead 1-0. The Wolverines laced a leadoff single into right center after resuming play, but a pair of batter’s interference calls and a ground ball to Rochford at third limited the damage once more.
What looked to be a sure-fire single to center to open the Michigan sixth inning was completely robbed by Sweet. A diving grab, full-extension, fired up the rest of the Notre Dame defense, and even a one-out walk could not tip the momentum back in Michigan’s favor.
Notre Dame put the game away in the top of the seventh stanza. Wester ripped a two-out single down the line at third base, then moved to second on a scalding single up the middle by Sweet. Facing a 2-2 count, Reed roped a double to opposite field that landed in the gap in left center to score both runners and push the Irish ahead 3-0. Brooks followed one pitch later with a sharp RBI single into right that brought home Reed for the 4-0 Notre Dame lead.
A two-out RBI double just inside the first-base bag in the bottom of the seventh gave Michigan its lone run and cut the gap to 4-1. The tying run stepped to the plate following a full-count walk, but Reed ended the inning with a fielder’s choice flip to Marino at second base to close the ballgame.
Up Next
Notre Dame faces the winner of top-seeded Kentucky and fourth-seeded UIC on Saturday in the winner’s bracket of the NCAA Lexington Regional. Friday’s second game between the Wildcats and Flames was postponed due to inclement weather and is rescheduled for Saturday at John Cropp Stadium.