Irish Take Series Opener From Syracuse in Five Innings

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame softball team extended its winning streak to seven games, earning a 10-2 five-inning win over the visiting Syracuse Orange Friday evening at Melissa Cook Stadium. Payton Tidd put together an all-around performance, throwing a complete game, the 33^rd of her career, and went 2-for-2 matching a career-best with two doubles and four RBI. The Fighting Irish improve to 18-7 overall on the season, and 4-3 in Atlantic Coast Conference play.

Tidd worked in the circle, logging all 5.0 innings, allowing just three hits, two runs, one earned and striking out three.

At the plate, it was Tidd and Joley Mitchell leading the offense. Mitchell added a 3-for-3 effort, scoring twice and hitting a double. Carlli Kloss added a 2-for-4 performance with a double, an RBI and scored once. Karina Gaskins, Jane Kronenberger and Mickey Winchell all added a hit and an RBI in the contest. Winchell drove in two, while Gaskins took the team-lead with her seventh homer of the season.

How It Happened

Kloss got the Irish on the board in the first inning. The catcher doubled to start the frame, then a wild pitch skipped away from the Syracuse catcher who couldn’t locate it, allowing Kloss to score from second on the wild pitch. The Irish added another run with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly from Tidd.

The Orange knotted the game the next half inning. A lead-off single started the rally as a double moved two into scoring position. Olivia Pess singled to shallow left, scoring one and a wild throw home allowed another run to score to tie the game at two each.

Notre Dame struck for five in the bottom of the third, to take a commanding lead. Gaskins started the frame off with a solo homer, before a walk and back-to-back doubles plated two more. A walk and two groundouts added a run before Kloss hammered a single through the right side to add the fifth run of the inning.

After holding the Orange scoreless in the fourth, Notre Dame tacked on three more runs with two outs in the bottom of the inning. A single from Mitchell and back-to-back doubles from Tidd and Kronenberger drove in two runs. Winchell added the third run of the inning with a single to left field to extend the lead to 10-2.

Up Next

These two will square off again tomorrow at Melissa Cook Stadium at 1 p.m. in the second game of the ACC series.