CLEARWATER, Fla. – Brooke Marquez provided a spark that the University of Notre Dame softball team used to knock off the ninth-ranked Texas Longhorns in the finale of the St. Pete Clearwater Elite Invitational, presented by Wilson. Marquez hit a solo home run to take a lead in the fifth and the Irish carried that momentum to score seven in the frame in route to a 9-2 victory. The Irish improve to 7-3 with the win, while Texas falls to 5-6.
All three Irish pitchers combined in the win. Alexis Holloway got the start, throwing 2.0 innings, allowing two hits and two earned runs before handing the ball to Shannon Becker. Becker earned the win, throwing 2.0 innings, allowing just a hit to go with a strikeout. Tidd picked up the save, the third of her career, throwing the final 3.0 innings, allowing just two hits and striking out two.
Marquez led the offense out of the nine-spot in the lineup. She earned her first hits of the season as she finished the contest a triple short of the cycle, going 4-for-4 with three RBI, scored twice, a double and a home run. Abby Sweet, Emma Clark, Miranda Johnson and Joley Mitchell all had a base hit in the contest. Mitchell drove in a pair, while Sweet, Leea Hanks, Quinn Biggio and Tidd drove in runs.
Notre Dame struck first in the top of the second inning. Gaskins drew a lead-off walk and was pinch ran for by Shelby Grimm. A Miranda Johnson sacrifice bunt moved Grimm into scoring position. Mitchell drove a single back up the middle to drive in the first run of the day.
Texas took the lead in the bottom of the inning, plating two runs. A single and two walks loaded the bases with two outs. A sharp line drive popped out of the glove of the Irish first baseman, scoring one, and the runner from second hustled around on the play to score and take the 2-1 lead.
The Irish tied it up the next half inning. Marquez roped her first double of the season to left center, moved up on a Clark bunt single and scored when Leea Hanks hit a ground ball to the right side to bring in Marquez and knot it at two.
Marquez put the Irish ahead to start the fifth inning as she uncorked a drive to left field that left the yard for her first home run of the season and put Notre Dame up 3-2. Two hit batters and a walk loaded the bases as the Irish pinch hit with Biggio. Biggio, Mitchell and a pinch-hitting Tidd drew bases loaded walks to extend the lead to 6-2, Irish. Marquez dug in for the second time of the inning and roped a single to center to score a pair. Sweet followed with a single to shallow center and the Irish led 9-2 when the inning closed.
Up Next
The Irish head back to Florida on Friday to take part in THE Spring Games in Leesburg. Notre Dame will take on North Florida and Iowa.