GREENSBORO, N.C. – The University of Notre Dame softball jumped out to an early lead and kept the pressure on as the Fighting Irish earned a 12-3 victory over the UNC Greensboro Spartans Wednesday evening at the UNCG Softball Stadium. The Irish hung crooked numbers in four innings, led by a four-run first inning.
Graduate student Payton Tidd got the start in the circle, picking up her eighth win of the season. She worked 4.0 innings, allowing four hits, three earned runs and struck out three. Micaela Kastor earned her third save of the season, working three innings effectively, allowing just three hits and striking out four.
Carlli Kloss led the powerful Irish offense. Kloss becomes the second player in 2023 to record four or more hits, going 4-for-5, with an RBI, two runs scored and finished a double short of the cycle. Lexi Orozco added three hits, scored a run and drove in a run. Joley Mitchell and Payton Tidd each finished 2-for-4 with three RBI and scored a run.
How It Happened
The Irish jumped up early, scoring four runs in the first inning. A lead-off triple scored on a fielder’s choice before a walk and a single put two on. A sacrifice fly from Mitchell drove in the second run of the afternoon, before back-to-back doubles from Tidd and Kronenberger put the Irish up 4-0 after the first inning.
Kloss added a solo home run in the second before a walk and an RBI single scored Gaskins to extend the lead to 6-0, Irish.
Three more Irish runs scored in the fourth inning. A lead-off single and a walk put two on for Mitchell who doubled to bring in one. Tidd added another double to drive in two more the extend the lead to 9-0.
The Spartans got on the board in the fourth thanks to a three-run home run by Samantha Lagrama, cutting the Notre Dame lead to 9-3.
An infield single, a hit batter and a walk loaded the bases for Orozco who drove a ball to the wall to clear the bases and extend the lead to 12-3.
Up Next
The Irish are back in action tomorrow night as they close the North Carolina road swing with a matchup with East Carolina at 5 p.m. in Greenville.