CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The University of Notre Dame softball team began its season with a doubleheader sweep Friday against Bucknell and Boston University at Charlotte as part of the Green and Gold Classic. The Irish had no trouble in the season opening contest with Bucknell, winning 9-1 in five innings. Boston University took the Irish to the brink, but an Abby Sweet hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the top of the seventh to secure the victory.
In the first contest, graduate student Alexis Holloway go the start in the circle and earned the win. Holloway threw 4.0 innings, allowing just two hits and an earned run. Shannon Becker threw the final inning, putting up a zero with her first career strikeout.
Payton Tidd started in the circle in the nightcap, throwing 5.0 innings, scattering five hits and allowing three earned runs. Becker came on in relief, throwing 2.0 innings with a strikeout and earning her first win.
Sweet finished the day 5-for-6 with a pair of home runs, a double, three RBI and scored five runs. Karina Gaskins drove in five in the first contest and hit the first home run of the season, a grand slam in the first inning against Bucknell. Emma Clark added two hits in the first game. Quinn Biggio finished with a hit and two RBI in game one as Carlli Kloss earned her first extra-base hit of her career in the opening game. Miranda Johnson and Anna Holloway each added a hit in the contest against Boston University.
The morning contest with Bucknell started off all Irish. Holloway dealt a clean first inning with her first strikeout of the season. Sweet started a rally with a walk, moved up on an infield single from Clark and the bases were loaded up following a walk to Sarah Genz. Gaskins lifted a 2-2 pitch over the wall in right center to put the Irish up 4-0 with the grand slam. It’s the first Irish grand slam in almost two seasons as Sweet was the last to do it on the second weekend of the 2020 season.
Notre Dame added a run with a two-out rally in the second. Sweet knocked a double to shallow left field and Clark drove a double back up the middle to bring in Sweet and tack on a run for a 5-0 lead.
Bucknell got on the board in the top of the third with a solo home run from Chase Knapp.
Another two-out rally extended the lead back to five. Marquez drew a walk and came around to score when Kloss lifted her first career extra-base hit, a triple to center field to bring in the Irish run.
Notre Dame added a three-spot in the fourth inning to extend the lead to 9-1. A single, a fielder’s choice and walk loaded the bases up. Gaskins drove a sacrifice fly to center to score Sweet and move the runners up. Biggio followed with a double to drive in a pair and extend the lead to 9-1.
Becker came in for her collegiate debut in the fifth, sitting the Bison down in order with a couple ground outs and her first strikeout.
Sweet wasted no time getting the Irish on the board in the nightcap, hitting her first home run of the season to lead off the contest. It’s the first lead off home run to begin a game since Sweet did it Feb. 28th of last season against Villanova.
The Irish added an unearned run in the top of the third. Anna Holloway had a one-out single for her first collegiate hit before she was pinch ran for by Emily Tran. Tran stole second and came around to score when Clark hit a ground ball back to the pitcher, the throw to get her at first sailed to the fence along the foul line, giving Clark second base and scoring Tran to extend the lead to 2-0.
The Terriers took the lead in the bottom of the fifth scoring three runs to take the 3-2 advantage.
Notre Dame wasn’t done yet. With two outs in the top of the seventh, Anna Holloway hit a ground ball back to the shortstop and the throw to get her at first got away and she took second, setting the stage for Sweet. With a full count, Sweet drove a fly ball over the fence in center field to put the Irish up 4-3. Becker slammed the door in the seventh, working a 1-2-3 inning frame to secure the win.
Notre Dame is back in action tomorrow against these same two squads. The Irish will take on Boston University at 10 a.m., followed by a 5:30 p.m. matchup with Bucknell.
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