DURHAM, North Carolina — After a win Saturday, RV Notre Dame (3-4) dropped both games of the doubleheader at No. 18 Duke Sunday. First, senior pitcher Alexis Holloway (2-2) shouldered the 1-3 loss to the Blue Devils in the early game, and junior pitcher Payton Tidd (1-2) took the loss in the 0-3 second game.
Freshman Karina Gaskins and graduate student Katie Marino led the Irish with two hits each on the day. Holloway posted 10 strikeouts in the first game, nearing her career-high of 12. Tidd added five strikeouts, as senior pitcher Morgan Ryan entered in the final inning, notching a strikeout of her own.
With the two games today, the all-time series between Duke and Notre Dame is now tied at 3-3.
Game 1
The Irish played the first game Sunday as the home team, batting in the bottom of the inning. Duke led off the first with a triple, but was later tagged out on a Holloway toss to junior Shelby Grimm to save the score. With two strikeouts in the first, the Irish held Duke scoreless.
Hanks led off for the Irish and struck out. While Sweet singled in the first, graduate student Katie Marino lined into a double play to end the inning.
After Holloway struck out Duke’s first batter, Duke delivered a double, and then the Irish tagged the runner out on a subsequent fielder’s choice. Duke’s Raine Wilson stole second, and got home on a single. The Irish were able to limit the damage at one to end the inning, and were unable to manufacture any runs in the second, leaving two on base and keeping the score 0-1.
Both teams were retired in order in the third. In the fourth, Duke led off with two hits. After a strikeout, one runner was tagged out on the next fielder’s choice, and a popup to sophomore Brooke Marquez ended the batting campaign for Duke.
Marino led off for the Irish in the fourth, singling to bring up Gaskins. Gaskins doubled to bring Marino home, evening the score at 1-1. Two groundouts ended the inning.
Duke singled in the fifth, and Holloway responded with a strikeout, before Duke stole second, and then earned a walk. After striking out another, Holloway issued another walk before throwing her ninth strikeout of the day with the bases loaded to end the inning. The Irish were unable to respond with any runs in the fifth.
In the sixth, Duke drew a HBP and a sac bunt to get a runner on second. On the groundout to Marquez, the runner advanced to third, and scored on the following triple. An ensuing single scored another Duke run, and a fielder’s choice out ended the inning with Notre Dame down 1-3.
In the sixth, Sweet and Marino noted quick outs, while Gaskins doubled for her second-consecutive at-bat. The inning ended with Gaskins left on base and a Clark groundout.
Both teams were retired in order in the seventh, making the final score Notre Dame 1, Duke 3.
Game 2
In the second game of the day, the Irish came out looking for opportunities, as Sweet struck out, yet advanced to first on a passed ball. Marino then reached on an error, and both advanced another base on a wild pitch. However, both were left on base, and the Irish headed to the field.
Notre Dame held Duke scoreless in the first, and the Irish were retired in order in the second. After a Duke double in the second, another runner reached on a fielder’s choice. Duke then grounded out, and delivered a sac bunt. Duke scored, but Grimm got the ball to first for the out, and Gaskins turned it to third for the double play to end the inning down 0-1.
Both teams went scoreless in the third, fourth and fifth innings, with Duke leaving one on base through the three innings, and the Irish leaving four.
In the sixth, Gaskins reached on an error, and freshman Cassidy Grimm entered to pinch run. Tidd singled, putting Cassidy Grimm on third. However, both were left on base to end the inning.
In the bottom of the sixth, Duke led off with a home run, followed by a single on which the runner reached third on an Irish throwing error. Another single drove home the second run of the inning. Ryan entered for Tidd, delivering a strikeout and snagging the popup to end the inning at 0-3.
The Irish were retired in order in the seventh to end the game in a 0-3 loss. In total, Notre Dame left eight runners on base in the second game.
Up Next
Notre Dame will face Liberty and Bucknell in the Liberty Classic Feb. 26-28, playing each team twice. Follow @NDSoftball on Twitter for updates.