LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Notre Dame softball team earned a 1-0 victory in the series opener over the Louisville Cardinals Thursday night at Ulmer Stadium. The Fighting Irish got a complete game from Payton Tidd in the circle, and Joley Mitchell hit her career-best seventh home run of the season in the victory. The Irish improve to 22-10-1 on the season, and 6-6-1 in ACC action.
Tidd worked the full 7.0 in the circle. She allowed six hits walked one and struck out two to earn her 11th victory of the season. That win is Tidd’s 70th of her career, tying former teammate Alexis Holloway for eighth all-time in program history. Louisville entered the weekend with the ACC’s offenses, hitting for a .316 team average with 32 home runs.
The offense had just three hits in the contest, led by Mitchell’s long ball. Karina Gaskins and Mickey Winchell each had a hit in the contest, with Gaskins’s being a double.
How It Happened
Mitchell put the Irish up in the top of the third inning, connecting on a two-out solo home run for the 1-0 advantage.
That proved to be the difference in the ball game. Tidd stranded six runners, and a double play in the fourth inning erased a threat. Down the stretch, Tidd was her best, retiring the final eight hitters of the contest.
Up Next
The Irish and Cardinals are back in action tomorrow evening at 5 p.m. in the second game of the three-game conference series.