SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame softball team began its home schedule with a doubleheader sweep of the visiting Bowling Green Falcons Tuesday afternoon at Melissa Cook Stadium. After a dominating pitching performance in game one gave the Fighting Irish a 4-0 victory, Notre Dame battled back, scoring runs in the seventh and eighth innings to earn a 10-9 extra-inning victory to complete the sweep to improve to 14-9 on the year.
Game one saw graduate transfer Alexis Laudenslager start in the circle. Laudenslager earned her fifth win of the season, allowing just one hit and striking out a season-best 10 hitters. The San Diego-native kept the Falcons out of the hit column until the top of the seventh inning when she allowed her only hit, a single with one out.
The Irish offense had seven hits in the first game, led by a perfect 3-for-3 effort from senior leadoff hitter Carlli Kloss. Kloss drove in two runs, scored once, stole two bases, doubled and drew a walk. Emily Tran added a 2-for-4 effort with an RBI. Karina Gaskins finished 1-for-4 with a double. Mickey Winchell added the seventh hit, a single in a 1-for-3 effort.
Kami Kamzik made her second collegiate start in the nightcap. The freshman threw an inning, allowing three hits, two unearned runs and struck out four. Shannon Becker took over, logging 2.2 innings with a season-best six strikeouts, but allowed five runs, three earned on three hits and walked four. Micaela Kastor settled things down, throwing the final 4.1 innings, scattering three hits, allowing two unearned runs and striking out four to earn her sixth win of the year.
Rachel Allen led the Irish offense, finishing 3-for-5 with two RBI, including a game-tying home run in the bottom of the seventh and driving in the game-winning run in the eighth. Kloss finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and scored a run to go with one stolen base. Gaskins added a 2-for-5 effort with three RBI. Addison Amaral was 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Other multi-hit performances included Cassidy Grimm’s 2-for-5 day with two RBI and two runs scored. Jane Kronenberger added a 2-for-3 game, scoring two runs and drawing two walks.
How It Happened – Game 1
The Irish scored the first run of the day in the bottom of the first frame. Kloss drew a walk and stole second. Tran drove a ground ball back up the middle to score Kloss from second as Notre Dame took the 1-0 lead.
Notre Dame scored two unearned runs in the second inning. Kronenberger was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a wild pitch. Allen followed with a ground ball that skipped through the legs of the Falcon second baseman, and the throw to get Kronenberger at home was wild, allowing Allen to take second. Kloss followed with a single up the middle to score a run and put the Irish up 3-0.
Kloss added to the Irish lead in the sixth. Kronenberger was hit by a pitch and moved up on a deep fly ball to left. Kloss brought her in with a double that bounced over the third baseman to bring in the run.
Laudenslager surrendered her first hit of the day in the top of the seventh inning as she earned her first complete game shutout of the season.
How It Happened – Game 2
The Falcons got the scoring started in the first inning, plating a pair of unearned runs. With two outs, a single and a passed ball on a strikeout put two on. A walk loaded the bases as a single drove in two early.
Gaskins cut the lead in half in the bottom of the first. Kloss led off with a single to center and moved up on a sacrifice bunt from Tran put her in scoring position. A stolen base moved her up as Gaskins put the ball on the ground to the right side, scoring one and cutting the lead to 2-1, in favor of Bowling Green.
Notre Dame got the lead back in the bottom of the second inning, scoring two runs. Kronenberger and Allen hit back-to-back singles to put two on. A walk loaded the bases for Kloss who singled to center to bring a run in. Tran added a run with a ground ball to take the 3-2 lead.
The Irish exploded for five runs in the bottom of the third. Amaral led off with a single and an error on Winchell’s sacrifice bunt put two on. A wild pitch moved the runners up for Grimm who delivered with a single. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases for Kloss who made her first out of the day, but drove in a run with the sacrifice fly to left. A walk loaded the bases again for Gaskins who drove a single the other way to score two and extend the lead to 8-2.
Bowling Green rallied in the fourth inning, scoring seven times to take a 9-8 lead into the bottom of the seventh.
Allen led off the frame with a bang, hitting her first homer of the season to tie it up. The Irish continued the rally, getting the run 60 feet from home in the seventh, but couldn’t bring it home, sending the game into extra innings. Notre Dame kept the pressure on as Grimm knocked a one-out single through the right side in the eighth. Kronenberger drew a walk to set the stage for Allen. The junior delivered with a single off the wall in center field, scoring Grimm as the Irish earned the 10-9 victory.
Up Next
The Irish return to Atlantic Coast Conference action this weekend as they’ll head to Atlanta, Georgia for a three-game set with the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets beginning Friday evening at 8 p.m.