NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Notre Dame (19-12, 10-10 ACC) won its 11th straight home game Friday with a 7-1 victory over Virginia (13-22, 9-17 ACC). Junior Payton Tidd marked her 10th win of the season, pitching a complete game with five strikeouts, allowing just three hits in seven innings.
Experience proved crucial at the plate for the Irish, with senior Abby Sweet, the ACC’s top batter (.500 avg.), leading the way with three hits. Sweet reached base four times overall (thanks to a hit by pitch), and scored three runs. Sweet’s three runs came courtesy three plays from graduate student Katie Marino, who totaled two hits and forced an error to finish the day with three RBI. Senior Sarah Genz also showed up big at the plate, delivering a two-out, 2 RBI single in the fifth inning.
Freshman Karina Gaskins was smart at bat, drawing walks on three separate occasions through Friday’s outing. It marked the first time an Irish player has been issued three or more walks in a game since Marino achieved the feat on May 18, 2019 vs. Wisconsin (NCAA Regional).
In the field, graduate student Chelsea Purcell again shone, responsible for four putouts at shortstop, while also delivering two hits on the day.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Tidd and the Irish made quick work of the Cavaliers in the three-up, three-down first inning. In the bottom of the first, Sweet led off with a single, later stealing second. Marino delivered her first hit of the game, a double, to score Sweet, and the Irish ended the inning up 1-0.
Both squads were sat down in order in the second, and in the third with one out, an Irish error placed a Virginia runner on second. With the runner pushed to third on a groundout, a Virginia single tied it up at 1-1. Another runner reached due to an error, but with two outs, both were left on base as Marino took care of a grounder to send the Irish to bat.
Notre Dame responded quickly, as Purcell led off with a single, reaching second on a single from Sweet. Purcell was tagged out at third on a fielder’s choice from junior Emma Clark, but on the next at-bat, Marino forced a Virginia error to bring Sweet home, and while the play tagged Clark out at third, Marino herself made it to second on the throw. With a 2-1 lead, Gaskins walked, but a flyout ended the inning with two Irish left on base.
Tidd surrendered a two-out single in the fourth followed by a walk, but a shallow popup to Marino stranded both on base. Tidd led off the bottom of the inning for the Irish and walked, reaching third on the two following plays, but a groundout thwarted Irish hopes of another run.
Tidd and the Irish retired the Virginia side in the fifth. Sweet then led off by drawing a hit-by-pitch, taking second on a subsequent wild pitch. Clark walked, and then Marino singled, pushing Clark to third and again scoring Sweet for the third time that day. Gaskins walked again to load the bases, and sophomore Leea Hanks delivered a fielder’s choice that tagged Gaskins out, but scored Clark and pushed Marino to third.
Hanks then stole second, and later, with Marino on third and Hanks on second, Genz delivered a timely single to score both, giving the Irish a 6-1 lead at the end of the inning.
In the sixth, Virginia led off with a walk, followed by a single to put two runners on with zero outs. However, Tidd took care of business, striking out the next two batters, and freshman Cassidy Grimm grabbed the popup to third base to end the inning, stranding the two runners.
Purcell led off the bottom half with a single, and freshman Carlli Kloss entered to pinch run. Sweet then delivered a double to score Kloss all the way from first. Later, Sweet took third on a wild pitch, and Gaskins walked, but the inning ended with the 7-1 lead.
To close it out, Tidd and Notre Dame sat the side down in order, as Purcell grabbed the popup and Marino took care of two grounders to preserve the 7-1 lead.
UP NEXT
Both squads return to Melissa Cook Stadium Saturday for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. ET. Broadcast coverage will be available on ACC Network Extra.