CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – The University of Notre Dame softball team closed its weekend at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic with a pair of wins Saturday afternoon. The Fighting Irish improve to 8-5 on the season with the wins over the Oregon State Beavers and No. 20 Utah Utes. The day started with an 8-2 win over the Beavers, and concluded with a 7-1 win over Utah, avenging a loss to the ranked Utes from opening weekend.
Alexis Laudenslager got the start in the first game of the day. The graduate threw 4.1 innings, scattering five hits, two earned runs and striking out seven. Shannon Becker came on with the bases loaded in the top of the fifth, wiggling off the hook with a strikeout and a fly out. She finished out the game, totaling 2.2 innings, allowing three hits and striking out three.
The Irish offense went for 10 hits in the contest, led by a 3-for-4 performance from Cassidy Grimm, with an RBI and a run scored. Jane Kronenberger added a 2-for-4 effort with an RBI and scored twice. Rachel Allen and Karina Gaskins both tallied a hit, driving in two runs each. Mickey Winchell set the table, reaching base three times, scoring three runs.
Micaela Kastor got the ball in the nightcap. The sophomore competed with the 20th-ranked team in the country, scattering 11 hits, allowing just one earned run and striking out two as she earned the complete game victory.
Allen led the offensive charge against the Utes, finishing 3-for-4 with three RBI. Kronenberger and Gaskins each drove in a pair with singles. Carlli Kloss, Grimm and Emily Tran each finished with a pair of hits. Tran and Kloss each scored a run in the win.
How It Happened – Oregon State
Oregon State got on the board in the bottom of the first inning, hitting a solo homer to take the early lead.
The Irish battled back, scoring a pair of runs in the fourth to take the lead. Winchell singled and with two outs, Kronenberger added a single. Allen delivered a double down the left field line to bring both and put the Irish up 2-1.
The following inning, it was Winchell again getting the rally going. She drew a two-out walk and Gaskins hammered her second home run of the season to double up the Irish score and put us up 4-1.
Oregon State got a run back in the bottom of the frame. A leadoff double came in on a single to cut the Irish lead in half. Becker came on in relief of Laudenslager, getting a strikeout and a fly out to hold the lead.
The Irish added three insurance runs in the seventh inning. Winchell again got the rally going, walking and moving to second when Gaskins was hit by a pitch. Kronenberger delivered the first run with a single to left. Allen put a ball on the dirt that went through the legs of the Oregon State second baseman, allowing a run to score and putting a runner on third. Grimm added an RBI single to extend the lead to 8-2.
The bottom of the frame saw the Beavers put a runner on with a one-out double, but Becker closed the door with back-to-back strikeouts to end the game and secure the win.
How It Happened – Utah
Utah took the lead in the top of the third inning, plating a run. A leadoff double scored on a single for the early lead.
The Irish answered with three of their own in the bottom of the frame. Tran and Kloss began the frame with singles, and an error loaded the bases. Gaskins worked a walk to tie the game at one. Kronenberger followed with a sacrifice fly, and Allen put the Irish up 3-1 with a single up the middle.
After exchanging zeroes in the fourth, the Irish add a run in the bottom of the fifth. Amaral led off with a double to center, and moved up on a passed ball. She scored on a Kronenberger single to put Notre Dame up 4-1.
Notre Dame put the game out of reach in the sixth, putting up three insurance runs late. Kloss and Winchell started the rally with back-to-back singles, as Gaskins drove in a run with a single through the left side. With the bases loaded, Allen stepped up and drove a single to right to bring in two and extend the lead out to 7-1.
Kastor finished the game out in the seventh, giving up a pair of infield hits, but recording her second strikeout of the evening to cement the victory.
Up Next
Notre Dame is back in action next weekend as it heads to Blacksburg, Virginia as it opens Atlantic Coast Conference action with the Virginia Tech Hokies in a three-game series.