RALEIGH, N.C. – The Notre Dame Softball team fell in heartbreak fashion in the rubber match at NC State, 3-5 in extra innings after losing in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader. With the losses, Notre Dame is now 12-15 on the season and 2-4 in ACC play.
Game One
Leading off the inning, Emily Tran reached on an error and stole her sixth base of the season to get into scoring position for the heart of the order. She advanced to third on an Addison Amaral flyout to the warning track in right center with two outs, but was stranded to end the inning.
Kami Kamzik got the nod in game one, making her eighth start of the season. The sophomore was coming off a complete game performance a week ago at Louisville, where she struck out a career-high nine batters.
After holding the Wolfpack scoreless the past 19 innings, NC State finally broke through, scoring three runs in the opening inning off Kamzik, ending her afternoon after only recording one out. Shannon Becker took over and ended the inning with a flyout and strikeout.
NC State tacked on another in the second inning off a RBI double just over the outstretched leap of Anna Holloway at second. The Wolfpack led 4-0 after two.
With two outs in the top of the third, Tran walked and stole another base, but was stranded again. Notre Dame was still looking for its first hit after three innings.
A solo home run in both the bottom of the third and fifth put NC State up 6-0. After five innings, Wolfpack starter Carly Maxton had held the Irish hitless after five innings of play.
In the top of the sixth, Sydney Poeck lined a single into left to break up the potential NC State no-hit bid. NC State would go on to win game one of the doubleheader 6-0.
Game Two
The Irish got back-to-back walks from Poeck and Amaral to put early pressure on NC State, but the Wolfpack pitching continued to have the edge against Notre Dame, as starter Wynne Gore managed to escape the jam unharmed.
Notre Dame went to Micaela Kastor in the rubber match. The junior was making her team-most 12th start of the season. She tossed a scoreless first, including a swinging strikeout to end the opening frame.
Much like game one, the Wolfpack got the bats going after that. Back-to-back two out hits with runners in scoring position got NC State on the board first, scoring two runs in the bottom of the second to take a 2-0 lead after two.
In the top of the fourth, Olivia Levitt grounded a ball down the third base line for a single. The Irish third basemen advanced to second on a passed ball. With two outs, Jane Kronenberger ripped a ball off the wall in right center field to score Levitt and cut the lead in half. It was the eighth RBI of the season for the senior outfielder.
NC State threatened again in the bottom of the fourth. With a runner on third and one out, a ground ball hit to Amaral at short was fired home to Rachel Allen to tag out the potential Wolfpack run, and kept the Irish deficit to one after four. That would be the final inning for Kastor, who allowed two earned runs over four innings. She struck out three.
Notre Dame opened up the fifth inning with back-to-back singles from Tran and Poeck at the top of the order for Amaral. And the Irish shortstop delivered. She ripped a ball into left field to score Tran to tie the game and after an errant throw from the left fielder, Poeck came across for the lead. The Irish took its first lead of the day 3-2 in the fifth.
Brianne Weiss got the call from the bullpen to start the bottom of the fifth. The freshman tossed a complete game shutout in her first career start last night. The southpaw continued her dominance, throwing a 1-2-3 inning.
After a strikeout from Weiss to start the bottom of the sixth, NC State loaded the bases with one out. But the freshman in the circle was unrattled, getting a huge swinging strike out followed by a routine fly ball to right to end the Wolfpack threat in the sixth as Notre Dame took the one run lead into the seventh.
To open up the seventh, NC State’s leadoff hitter lined a ball off of Poeck’s glove in left. But Poeck got up and fired the ball in quickly to Holloway at second, tagging out the potential tying run at second for the first out.
But after a 17-pitch at-bat ended in a walk, the Wolfpack were able to manufacture an unearned game-tying run on a bloop single into left field to knot the game at three and send it to extras.
In the top of the eighth, Caroline O’Brien worked a leadoff walk and advanced to third on a couple of groundouts. But the freshman was stranded 60-feet away from home after a flyout to left that ended the top half of the eighth.
A leadoff double was the catalyst for NC State in the bottom of the eighth. Two batters later, a two-run homer to left center secured the series win for the Wolfpack.
After 27 straight games on the road to open the season, Notre Dame finally returns to Melissa Cook Stadium to host Indiana on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. in the home opener. The innerstate rivalry will be broadcast on ACC Network. It’s the first of a nine-game homestand for the Irish.