SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Graduate pitcher Alexis Laudenslager put together a quality start to help the Fighting Irish take the first game of the Atlantic Coast Conference series with the NC State Wolfpack Friday night at Melissa Cook Stadium. The University of Notre Dame softball team earned a 5-3 victory, improving the team’s record to 18-10 overall and 3-4 in conference play.
Laudenslager threw 6.2 innings Friday night, striking out eight hitters, allowing six hits, three runs, two earned as she picked up her eighth win of the season. Shannon Becker came on with one on and two outs in the seventh, retiring the second batter she faced to earn her fifth save of the season, the team’s 10th. The 10 saves this season ties a program record for team saves in a single season, a mark that was set in 1996 and 1999.
The Irish offense went for nine hits in the contest, by eight different players. Carlli Kloss had the multi-hit effort, finishing 2-for-4 with a run scored. Emily Tran, Karina Gaskins, Addison Amaral, Cassidy Grimm, Rachel Allen, Mac Vasquez and Mickey Winchell each tallied a hit. Gaskins and Amaral went for extra bases as Amaral drove in two, and Tran added an RBI.
How It Happened
NC State took the lead with a two-out rally in the first inning. A double followed by a homer put the Wolfpack up 2-0.
The Irish answered right back, scoring two runs in its half of the first. Tran singled and went to third when Gaskins drove a double over the head of the right fielder. Amaral followed suit with a double to right and the Irish scored two to tie the game.
After a scoreless second inning, Notre Dame took the lead in the third. Kloss led off with a triple and scored on a groundout from Tran as the Irish took the 3-2 lead.
Laudenslager got into some trouble in the fourth, giving up a lead off single, followed with a double to put runners on second and third with no outs. The Irish pitcher took care of a line drive before picking up a strikeout and getting a fly out to Tran to retire the side.
The Irish carried that momentum into the bottom of the inning, scoring two more. Grimm led off with a single as Kronenberger followed with a sacrifice bunt. The throw to get Kronenberger was down the right field line, allowing Grimm to score and Kronenberger to move to second. Vasquez followed with a pinch-hit single up the middle to score another as the Irish took the 5-2 lead.
The Wolfpack got something going in the seventh, scoring an unearned run. A lead-off single came around when the Irish outfield couldn’t come up with a shallow fly ball. Becker locked in for the next hitter, getting a pop up to shortstop to end the threat and give the Irish the series-opening win.
Up Next
The Irish and Wolfpack are back in action Saturday with a 3 p.m. first pitch at Melissa Cook Stadium