Irish Defeat Ball State in Six Innings

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame softball team earned a 10-2 six-inning victory over the visiting Ball State Cardinals Tuesday night at Melissa Cook Stadium. The Fighting Irish pitching staff struck out a season-high 11 hitters as the offense scored in four of the six innings to cruise to its 21^st win of the season. Notre Dame improves to 21-10-1 on the season, while Ball State falls to 16-17.

Micaela Kastor started in the circle. The freshman threw 5.0 innings, allowing three hits, two runs, none earned and struck out a career-best eight hitters. Becker worked the sixth inning in relief, recording all three outs via a strikeout to put up a zero and set the stage for the Irish offense.

Notre Dame’s offense was led by a 3-for-4 effort from shortstop Lexi Orozco. Orozco added an RBI and scored a run in the victory. Leea Hanks added a 2-for-2 effort with a home run, as Carlli Kloss, Joley Mitchell, Karina Gaskins, Cassidy Grimm, Jane Kronenberger, Macie Eck and Miranda Johnson all added a hit in the victory.

How It Happened

The Irish started the scoring in the bottom of the second inning. The bottom of the order loaded the bases with a pair of bunt singles sandwiching a traditional single up the middle. Mitchell brought in the first run with an infield single, and Gaskins brought in two as she looped a single down the line in right to put the Irish up 3-0.

Ball State answered with two runs of their own in the top of the third. An error and a walk put two on for Amaia Daniel who drove a single to the gap in right center to bring in two and cut the lead to 3-2.

Hanks pushed the lead to two with a solo home run in the bottom of the third inning.

Notre Dame rallied for three more in the bottom of the fourth. A lead-off walk and a single put two on for Grimm, who singled off the pitcher to bring in a run. With runners on the corners, Grimm stole second, and an error on the throw to second allowed Emily Tran, who pinch ran for Orozco, to score. Hanks was hit by a pitch to put runners on the corners again, where another double steal was ran to perfection, scoring the runner from third to extend the lead to 7-2.

Three more came home for the home team in the sixth inning as the game was ended via the mercy rule. A one-out single, an error and a walk loaded the bases. Eck knocked a single back at the pitcher for an RBI and kept the bases loaded. Mac Vasquez drew a pinch-hit walk for the second run and an infield hit from Kloss brought in the game-ending run.

Up Next

The Irish are back in action Thursday as they begin an ACC series at Louisville that will wrap up Saturday afternoon on ACC Network.