SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The University of Notre Dame softball team split Friday’s action out on the West Coast, taking down San Diego after falling to nationally ranked Grand Canyon. The Irish are now 8-13 on the season.
Notre Dame took down San Diego on its home field, winning 10-2 in six innings. In the game, both Caitlyn Early and Lily Hagan hit their first career home runs, both the two-run variety. The 10 runs in the game were a season-high for the Irish and it was the first ever win for Notre Dame over San Diego.
In game one of the day, Notre Dame battled tough against an undefeated and 20th/23rd ranked Grand Canyon team, but fell 2-4. The game was tied in the fifth inning after an Early single but the Antelopes were able to scratch together baserunners and score a pair of late runs to edge the Irish.
Notre Dame will get another shot at Grand Canyon tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. ET/2:00 pm PT before taking on San Diego State at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT. Both games will be played at San Diego State’s Softball Stadium.
Grand Canyon
Micalea Kastor got the start in the circle in game one, throwing two scoreless innings to begin her outing.
The Antelopes got on the board in the bottom of the third on a two-run homer and led 2-0 after three innings.
In the top of the fourth, the Irish capitalized on a Grand Canyon error. Jillian Torres hit a ball back to the pitcher who made an errant throw to first, allowing Molly Conner to score from second base for the first run of the game for Notre Dame. Torres would come around to score on a Caitlyn Early single later in the inning to tie the game up at two.
Grand Canyon answered however, scoring a run in both the bottom of the fifth and sixth to win 4-2 and remain undefeated.
Sydny Poeck logged two hits and a walk while Kastor and Brianne Weiss combined for eight strikeouts in the circle. Today marked the first ever meeting between the two programs, and the Irish will look to avenge the loss tomorrow in a rematch with the Antelopes.
San Diego
Notre Dame struck in the top half of the first inning. Ava Zachary lined a pitch down the left field line that scored Rebecca Eckart to make it 1-0.
After San Diego struck for two in the bottom of the first, Mickey Winchell lifted a ball into the outfield with no outs, scoring Caroline O’Brien from third to tie the game at two on a sacrifice fly.
In the top of the third, Early hit her first career homer, a towering fly ball to right center that snuck up and over the wall for a three-run homer. The Irish added a sacrifice fly later in the inning to take a 6-2 lead.
Brianne Weiss was magnificent in relief Friday afternoon, throwing 3.2 innings of scoreless softball with five strikeouts. Notre Dame pitching didn’t walk a single Toreros all game.
Notre Dame put four on the board in the sixth inning. After an RBI double from O’Brien, Lily Hagan launched a two-run, pinch-hit home run that sailed over the left field fence for her first career homer. Keira Murphy added an RBI single later in the inning that made it 10-2.
Molly Conner headed to the circle in the bottom of the sixth and shutdown San Diego, throwing a 1-2-3 inning to close out the run-rule win of the season for Notre Dame.