SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame softball team split the Saturday doubleheader with the #14/17 Virginia Tech Hokies at Melissa Cook Stadium. The Fighting Irish dropped game one 8-7 before rallying to earn an 11-3 five inning victory in the nightcap. With the win Friday night, the Irish take the series from the nationally ranked Hokies. Its the first time the Irish have taken a series against a ranked opponent since taking the series against these same Hokies in 2021. The Irish improve to 27-11-1 on the season and 9-8-1 in conference play. Virginia Tech falls to 32-13 overall, and 12-6 in conference play.
Shannon Becker started in the circle in game one. The sophomore threw an inning, allowing four hits, four earned runs and struck one out. Micaela Kastor came on in relief. The freshman threw 6.0 innings allowing five hits, four earned runs and struck out one as she suffered the loss.
At the plate, Notre Dame went for 14 hits. Karina Gaskins and Macie Eck led the charge, each recording three hits. Gaskins drove in four and scored twice. Eck added a run scored. Joley Mitchell and Leea Hanks both finished with a pair of hits, Mitchell scored once and drove in a run. Carlli Kloss, Lexi Orozco, Anna Holloway and Mickey Winchell each recorded a hit in the loss.
Payton Tidd started the nightcap in the circle. The graduate student threw a complete 5.0 inning game, allowing six hits, three earned runs to go with a strikeout.
The Irish offense was led by a 3-for-4 effort from Mitchell in the nightcap. The senior drove in four and scored twice, adding two doubles. Orozco, Miranda Johnson and Winchell each had two hits. Orozco hit her 12th home run of the season, and Johnson hit her first. Winchell was on base in every at bat, finishing with two hits and a walk, scoring three runs.
How It Happened – Game One
Virginia Tech didn’t waste any time, showing why the lead the nation in team home runs. With one out, back-to-back homers put the Hokies up 2-0. A single put a runner on for another home run to extend the Virginia Tech lead to 4-0 after the top of the first.
Gaskins had an answer in the bottom of the frame with a solo home run.
The Irish offense kept the pressure on in the second, scoring five runs. Eck, Holloway, Winchell, Mitchell, Gaskins, Orozco and Hanks each had hits in the inning as Notre Dame took the 6-4 lead.
The Hokies used the long ball again in the third inning, with a solo home run to cut the lead to 6-5.
Notre Dame regained its two-run cushion with a solo run in the fourth inning. Kloss doubled to left center, and came around when Gaskins drove a single off the wall in right center to put Notre Dame up 7-5.
Virginia Tech regained the lead in the top of the sixth inning, scoring three times. A lead-off single and back-to-back doubles tied the game at seven. A ground ball moved the runner to third and a sacrifice fly to left field gave the Hokies the 8-7 lead.
The Irish threatened in the seventh, getting the lead-off hitter aboard, but couldn’t find the hit it needed to extend the game.
How It Happened – Game Two
Notre Dame struck first in the first frame. A double from Mitchell put a runner in scoring position for Hanks who singled up the middle to bring her in and put Notre Dame up 1-0.
Virginia Tech rallied for a pair of runs in the second inning. A single and a double put two runners on. The Tech catcher then singled to center field to bring in two and take the lead at 2-1.
The Irish battled back for a run in the bottom of the second. With two outs, Winchell legged out an infield single and scored when Kloss hammered a double to the wall in center.
Orozco gave the Irish the lead in the third, hitting a solo home run to left center to put the Irish up 3-2.
Notre Dame rallied for two more in the fourth inning. Johnson led off the inning with a solo homer. Winchell kept the rally going with a single to right and came home when Mitchell drove a single the other way to extend the lead to 5-2.
Virginia Tech tightened it up with a single run in the fifth before the Irish put the game away in the fifth.
In the bottom of the frame, the Irish scored six runs to finish the game out early. Mitchell had a bases-clearing double in the frame, and Orozco finished the game off with a single up the middle for the sixth run of the inning, and 11th of the game.
Up Next
The Irish are back on the field next Friday as they head to Boston College for the final regular season games away from Melissa Cook Stadium this season.