SOUTH BEND, Ind. –The University of Notre Dame softball team heads to the sunshine state for the second consecutive weekend this weekend as the Irish will head to Leesburg for THE Spring Games. The Irish will play doubleheaders Friday and Saturday, and finish up with a single game Sunday morning at 9 a.m.
Coming off of a 2-3 weekend against some of the top teams in the country at the St. Pete Clearwater Elite Invitational, Notre Dame will take on North Florida and Iowa Friday, Princeton and Florida Gulf Coast Saturday and wrap up Sunday against FGCU.
At the SPCE, the Irish got off to a slow start, falling against No. 20 Tennessee, Wisconsin and No. 22 South Florida before taking down then 21-ranked LSU and ninth-ranked Texas in back-to-back games to conclude the weekend. Notre Dame moved their way into the rankings, receiving votes in several polls and ranking 24th in the Softball America.
Starting Hot
The Irish have scored in the first inning in 6 of 10 games this season. When scoring in the first inning, Notre Dame is 5-1. When the Irish are the first team to score in the game at any point, Notre Dame is 7-1 on the season.
Fast Start
Notre Dame finished opening weekend 5-0 for the first time since 2011. In the 2011 season, the Irish began the year 9-0 as they went on to earn a 46-11 record and compete in the NCAA Ann Arbor Regional.
Top 25 wins
After falling in the first three games of the St. Pete Clearwater Elite Invitational, the Irish went on to take down a pair of Top 25 teams. Notre Dame rallied from down two to tie it up in the fifth with a home run from Payton Tidd. Miranda Johnson drove in the game-winning runs with a single to right field. Tidd shut the door in the seventh with a strikeout to end the contest and earn the 8-6 win.
The next outing saw the Irish take down #9 Texas. Notre Dame used a 7-run fifth inning to take the lead 9-2 and eventually the game. The win was the first over a top 10-nationally ranked opponent since defeating No. 3 Florida State in Tallahassee March 16th, 2019.
Its the first weekend with wins over different top 25 teams since sweeping No. 13 Virginia Tech in Blacksburg in 2021.
Scoring Often
The Irish offense scored 49 runs in the first five games of the 2022 season. Its the most runs on the first weekend of the year in Notre Dame softball history, and the most in a five-game stretch since the Irish scored 51 April 20 through April 28, 2019.
How Sweet it is
Abby Sweet is hitting at a .464 clip in the first 10 games of the season. The 2021 ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year ranks 14th in the ACC currently and leads the Irish with three home runs. She hit five in all of 2021, which was the most in a season in her illustrious Notre Dame career. Add to that she has four stolen bases through 10 games. She stole 20 a season ago, setting a new career best. The Irish lead-off hitter also has a .583 on-base percentage, which currently sits about 40 points higher than her school record of .537 a year ago. Sweet has reached base in all 10 games to begin this season.
On the Move
The Irish have stolen 21 bases in 22 attempts this season, averaging 2.10 per game. That average ranks 24th nationally, and is second in the ACC. Emma Clark leads the Irish with five stolen bases, followed by Abby Sweet with four, Leea Hanks and Emily Tran with three each. Tran has yet to make a start, but has pinch ran in six games, scoring four runs.
Infield Shuffle
A big question mark for the Irish entering the 2022 season was who would be manning the infield. Notre Dame has used several different starters around the horn. Gaskins and Genz have traded playing first base, Quinn Biggio and Miranda Johnson at second base, with Johnson starting the last four games. Anna Holloway and Brooke Marquez have alternated starts at shortstop, with Cassidy Grimm and Joley Mitchell playing third.
Going for Two
With 22 doubles through the first two weeks of the season, Notre Dame is averaging 2.25 per game. That ranks eighth nationally. The Irish are led by graduate student Abby Sweet, junior Miranda Johnson and sophomore Karina Gaskins who all have tallied three. Emma Clark, Leea Hanks, Sarah Genz and Payton Tidd each have two doubles.
Mighty Mitchell
Joley Mitchell returned to the diamond after an injury kept her out of the lineup in 2021. She has played in nine of 10 games this year, hitting for a .300 clip with a double, a triple and a home run with six RBI.
Seeing What You Got
Opening weekend saw the Irish play a full 7 innings just one time while going 5-0. In those victories, Deanna Gumpf made the most of her bench, getting 22 of 23 rostered players an appearance in the circle or an at bat.
Fantastic Freshmen
Though the first two weeks of the season, the Irish have had two freshman who have made an impact. Shannon Becker lead the pitching staff with three wins, throwing in 15.0 innings with 14 strikeouts. She’s earned a 1.40 ERA, 13th best in the ACC. Anna Holloway has traded time at shortstop. She’s started five games, appearing in six. Opening weekend saw the rookie hit her first career home run that sent the Irish home early, capping a 8-0 win over Bucknell.
Sister Act
Notre Dame softball has a pair of sisters on its roster this season. Shelby and Cassidy Grimm are playing their second collegiate season together in 2022. Alexis and Anna Holloway are playing their first year of softball together this season. The extra year of eligibility for Alexis allowed for her to stay at Notre Dame long enough to play with her younger sister.
Up Next
The Irish begin their weekend of THE Spring Games Friday night at 4:30 with a matchup with North Florida, followed quickly by a meeting with the Iowa Hawkeyes.