SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The University of Notre Dame softball team split Saturday’s action, taking down San Diego State 4-3 after falling just short to undefeated and 20th/23rd ranked Grand Canyon. The Irish are now 9-14 on the season.
The win over the Aztecs was the first win for Notre Dame at San Diego State since March 12, 2000. The Irish have now beat the Aztecs in back-to-back seasons.
Ava Zachary had a big day in the batters box, recording three extra base hits over the two games, including a home run against Grand Canyon. The freshman is now hitting .318 on the season.
In the circle, Irish pitching struck out 15 batters over the pair of games. Micaela Kastor struck out seven on the day, including three in a two inning save over San Diego State in the nightcap.
Notre Dame was aggressive on the basepaths, stealing four bases against the Antelopes in the opener. The Irish also drew seven walks on the day.
A matchup with Princeton tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m. PT closes out the USD/SDSU Co-Host Tournament for Notre Dame. The Irish are 4-0 all-time against the Tigers.
Grand Canyon
Notre Dame took on undefeated Grand Canyon a little over 24 hours after falling to the Antelopes Friday afternoon.
The Irish scored right away in the top of the first. Ava Zachary lined a one out double into the right center field gap and later crossed home plate on heads up baserunning to score the run of the contest.
Micaela Kastor took the ball for the Irish. After giving up a triple and single to start the bottom of the first, she settled in with a pair of strikeouts to dance around danger. The game was tied at one after one.
Leading off the top of the third, Zachary struck again, hitting a solo shot to dead center field. It was the second of the season for the freshman from Mishawaka.
Grand Canyon put up four in the bottom of the fourth off of Kastor, first a two-run triple followed by a two-run single later in the inning. The Antelopes led 5-2 after four.
Down three in the top of the seventh, Notre Dame battled. Olivia Levitt led off the final frame with a single followed by a Christina Willemssen walk. After a flyout, Jillian Torres hit a pinch-hit, RBI single into right to score Levitt. The Irish stole another run later in the inning off heads up base running to cut the lead to just one. But Grand Canyon got a strikeout to end the game as the Antelopes improved to 27-0.
San Diego State
For the third-straight game, the Irish scored in the first inning, this time putting a four-spot up in the opening inning. After walks by Mickey Winchell, Sydney Poeck and Caroline O’Brien, Levitt ripped a ball through the left side of the infield to score the first run. Next batter up, Kaia Cortes went the opposite way with it, a bases-clearing double to left field on an 0-2 count. Notre Dame chased San Diego State starter Matti Kwarta in the first inning and led 4-0 before taking the field for defense.
Brianne Weiss made her fifth start of the year and first since February 21. The sophomore threw a 1-2-3 first inning.
The Aztecs got on the board in the third with a solo homer before creating traffic in the fourth inning to chase Weiss. Weiss finished with five strikeouts and two earned runs in 3.2 innings. Kami Kamzik relieved Weiss and got a groundout with two runners in scoring position to escape the threat.
Kamzik tossed another scoreless inning before running into trouble in the bottom of the sixth after a batter reached on a dropped third strike and a single to put two on with no out. Kastor relieved Kamzik.
The Aztecs tacked on their third run on a sacrifice fly in the sixth to cut the lead to just one. But Kastor dug in and induced a fly out to Poeck in right to keep the Irish up 4-3 after six innings.
Kastor trotted back out in the bottom of the seventh and silenced Aztec bats, tallying three strikeouts to secure the win for the Irish and notch her first save of the season.