HUNTINGTON, W.Va.. – The University of Notre Dame softball team earned a 6-4 win over the Marshall Thundering Herd Friday night at Dot Hicks Stadium. Karina Gaskins hit her third home run of the season, proving to be the difference as the Fighting Irish improved to 10-8 on the season with their second win of the day.
Micaela Kastor got the start in the circle. The sophomore threw 6.1 innings, allowing 12 hits, scattering four earned runs and striking out a season-best five hitters. Alexis Laudenslager picked up the save, throwing the final 0.2 innings. The graduate transfer got a strikeout and a pop up to earn her third career save, and her first as a member of Notre Dame.
The Irish offense was paced by a two-hit effort from Gaskins, who finished with three RBI, a run scored and a home run. Carlli Kloss and Emily Tran added the other two hits in the contest, with Tran driving in a pair of runs. Kastor got her first start in the hitting lineup, finishing 0-for-1, but drew a pair of walks and scored a run.
How It Happened
Notre Dame broke the scoreless tie in the top of the fifth inning. Kastor led off with a walk and moved up on a sacrifice bunt. Kloss singled through the right side and moved up when Marshall threw home to prevent the run from scoring. Tran got the Irish on the board with a ground ball to the right side to bring in the first run. Gaskins followed with a moonshot to left field as the Irish took the 3-0 lead.
In the fifth inning, Marshall put a couple runners on, but some heady defense helped snuff the rally. With runners on second and third with one out, the Marshall hitter popped up high on the infield, Holloway let the ball fall to the turf before throwing to grimm for an out and the relay to second got the third out of the inning to retire the side.
The Irish added three more in the top of the seventh inning. Kastor started the frame with a walk and Holloway laid down a bunt that was misplayed, putting runners on second and third. Tran drove in a run with a ground ball, and the throw to get the runner at home kicked away, allowing Kloss to score. Gaskins followed with a single up the middle for the third run of the inning to extend the lead to 6-1.
The Thundering Herd came storming back in the bottom of the inning, using three-consecutive doubles to cut the lead down to two. Laudenslager came on in relief, getting a strikeout and a pop up to secure the win.
Next Up
The Irish are back in action Saturday with a doubleheader against Indiana State and Ball State, beginning at 11 a.m.