MONTGOMERY, Alabama — RV Notre Dame exploded for a 13-0 win (five innings) at Alabama State Sunday, closing out the 2021 Stinger Classic with a 2-1 record.
Combining for a no-hitter, junior pitcher Payton Tidd (1-1) earned the win in the circle, as senior Morgan Ryan started for the Irish and senior Alexis Holloway entered for the fifth inning.
Freshman infielder Karina Gaskins hit her first collegiate home run, racking up five RBI on the day.
The Irish totaled seven stolen bases in the game, the most in program records since at least 2012. Junior outfielder Emma Clark continued her stealing success with two steals (six total on the weekend), as senior outfielder Abby Sweet added three and sophomore outfielder Leea Hanks posted two.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Up to bat first, Clark led off the Irish with a single, and immediately stole second. After Katie Marino flew out, Clark took advantage of a wild pitch to advance to third. Sweet hit a single to score Clark for the first run of the day.
Sweet then stole second, and due to an Alabama State throwing error, continued to third. Sweet scored as Gaskins grounded out. Hanks placed a bunt to reach first, but the inning ended with a Sarah Genz groundout.
Ryan earned strikeouts of Alabama State’s first two batters in the first, and after a HBP, Genz dished the grounder to Gaskins at first to strand the runner and end the inning with the Irish up 2-0.
Freshman Carlli Kloss led off in the second with a single, followed by a Brooke Marquez double to advance Kloss to third. Shelby Grimm took a HBP to load the bases. Next up, Clark grounded into a double play, but scored Kloss in the process. After a Marino lineout, the Irish headed to the field up 3-0. Ryan and the Irish kept the Hornets at bay and scoreless through the second.
Sweet led off the third with a single, stealing second on Gaskins’ at-bat. After a Gaskins strikeout, Hanks pinned another bunt to reach first, advancing Sweet to third. With a throw to second, Sweet saw the opportunity and stole home, putting the Irish up 4-0.
Hanks followed with two-consecutive steals, advancing to second and third, on Genz’s at-bat. Genz then singled to score Hanks. Two subsequent lineouts ended the Irish batting up 5-0.
Tidd entered the circle to start the bottom of the third inning, as Biggio fielded the first grounder for the out, and Tidd struck out the next two.
Sophomore Macie Eck recorded her first-career hit to lead off the fourth, reaching first. Marino then drew a walk to take first and advance Eck. Sweet trapped the Hornets in a fielder’s choice, which tagged Marino out but advanced Eck to third and allowed Sweet to reach first.
Gaskins stepped to the plate and fired her first-career home run over the wall to also score Eck and Sweet, increasing the Irish lead to 8-0. Sophomore Miranda Johnson singled to follow, but Alabama State then turned a double play to send the Irish to the field.
Graduate student Chelsea Purcell took care of the first out of the bottom of the fourth, fielding the grounder to first. Tidd did the same on the following grounder, and then struck out the last batter to end the inning.
Kloss drew a walk to lead off the fifth, and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Purcell doubled to the outfield, scoring Kloss and making the score 9-0. In her first collegiate at-bat, freshman Mac Vasquez drew a walk, and Purcell took third on the ball-four wild pitch. Eck delivered a groundout to score Purcell and advance Vasquez.
Marino followed with a single to bring Vasquez to third, and Sweet drew a HBP to load the bases. Due to a wild pitch, Vasquez came home to make the score 11-0, advancing Marino and Sweet one base. Gaskins grounded out, but scored Marino and advanced Sweet in the process.
Hanks earned a walk, keeping Sweet at third. Junior Quinn Biggio was also walked, advancing Hanks, and Sweet came home on the ball-four wild pitch, extending the lead to 13-0. A Kloss fielder’s choice ball ended the Irish batting.
Holloway entered to pitch the final inning, striking out the first two batters. The final batter grounded directly to Gaskins at first, who made the putout for the win.
UP NEXT
Notre Dame will take part in ACC Pod Play Feb. 18-21, taking on Syracuse at host site North Carolina in three games, and then facing Duke in Durham for three games. Follow @NDSoftball on Twitter for updates.