Photo credit: UK Athletics
LEXINGTON, Kty. — Notre Dame took down regional No. 1 Kentucky in a 12-3, five-inning victory Saturday to advance to the Lexington Regional final. Senior Morgan Ryan (4-1) earned the win, throwing 4.2 innings and allowing just two hits, also going 2-3 with 3 RBI at the plate. Her three-run homer was the beginning of Notre Dame’s 12 unanswered runs beginning in the second.
The win marks Notre Dame’s largest NCAA Tournament win margin since 2015, and the first run-rule victory for the Irish in the NCAA Tournament since 2016. Notre Dame advances to its 11th regional final in head coach Deanna Gumpf’s tenure.
Saturday’s victory over No. 14-overall Kentucky also marks the highest-ranked win for the Irish since 2019 (March 16 win over No. 3 Florida State).
The last time Notre Dame won its first two games in a regional weekend to advance directly to the final was in 2005. The Irish will take on an opponent yet to be determined on Sunday at Noon ET.
Saturday saw a career showing from Ryan, who entered in relief in the first inning. In her first plate appearance, she hit the first home run of her career, a three-run shot to tie the game. She added a double, and herself again scored on a wild pitch. Junior Emma Clark was also strong in the box for Notre Dame, going 3-4 at the plate and stealing a base to allow senior Abby Sweet to steal home in the fifth inning.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Clark singled in the first inning, but the Irish were unable to score, and they headed to the field with senior Alexis Holloway starting in the circle. Kentucky jumped to a fast start, with a leadoff single. The runner stole second, and reached third on a following base hit. Holloway struck out the next batter, but a fielder’s choice ball allowed a runner to score. The Wildcats then executed a double steal of second and home, and a following single scored another run. A double placed runners on second and third, and the Irish then made a pitching change, bringing Ryan in to relieve Holloway.
Ryan and the Irish found themselves with bases loaded later in the inning, but a lineout to Ryan ended the inning to limit the damage to a 3-0 Kentucky lead.
Notre Dame responded emphatically in the second, as senior Sarah Genz led off, forcing a Kentucky error. Freshman Karina Gaskins delivered a fielder’s choice ball, and Kentucky committed another error to advance Genz to third. Junior Shelby Grimm entered to pinch run for Gaskins, and subsequently stole second. Ryan then stepped up to the plate and went yard, scoring all three and evening the score.
Graduate student Chelsea Purcell singled, and after a popup, was called out on a Sweet fielder’s choice ball. Clark then singled to push Sweet to second, and graduate student Katie Marino delivered a long two-out double to score both runners, taking a 5-3 Irish lead to end the top of the inning after batting through the entire order.
Ryan forced three immediate groundouts in the bottom of the inning to keep Kentucky off the bases, and on the Irish side, Genz again led off the third, drawing a walk. Sophomore Macie Eck entered to pinch run, and after two outs, Purcell doubled to score Eck all the way from first. Freshman Cassidy Grimm was hit by a pitch, and Sweet fired a double to score both Purcell and Grimm to go up 8-3. After Kentucky pitcher and fielder changes, Clark singled, pushing Sweet to third. Then, Clark initiated a steal, drawing a throw and allowing Sweet to steal home, making the score 9-3 to end the top of the third.
Ryan and the Irish again sat down the Wildcats in order in the third, and the Irish went three up, three down in the fourth. In the bottom of the inning, Kentucky drew a one-out walk, with the runner reaching second on a single, but a fielder’s choice ended the inning with no runs scored.
In the fifth, Ryan led off with a double, the second of her career. Purcell followed with a single, and sophomore Miranda Johnson entered to pinch hit. Johnson singled to advance all runners a base, and the ACC’s leading batter, Abby Sweet, stepped up to the plate with no outs and bases loaded.
On Sweet’s at-bat, a wild pitch allowed Ryan to speed home from third and Johnson and Purcell to each advance a base. In Kentucky’s attempt to get the out, they committed an error, and both runners again advanced with Purcell scoring. Sweet then doubled to score Johnson, and the top half ended with a 12-3 Irish lead.
In the bottom of the inning, Kentucky led off with a single, but Ryan and the Irish took care of the next three batters to punch their ticket to the regional final.
UP NEXT
Notre Dame will play Sunday at Noon ET against an opponent yet to be determined for the chance to advance to Super Regionals.