Notre Dame, #22 Virginia to Face Off This Weekend

Game Notes

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – For the second weekend in a row, the Notre Dame Softball Team will welcome a ranked opponent to Melissa Cook Stadium when the No. 24/22 Virginia Cavaliers come to South Bend for a three-game series. Game one will begin Friday night at 6 p.m., Saturday’s first pitch is at 1 p.m. and Sunday’s finale is at noon. Admission is free to all Notre Dame softball games and all games will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.

The Irish close out their nine game homestand this weekend. Notre Dame has two wins so far at home, posting victories over Western Michigan and UIC.

Virginia will be the eighth different ranked opponent Notre Dame has faced this season already. The Irish have ranked wins over No. 15 Missouri and No. 23 San Diego State so far this year.

Through the first 33 games of the season, the Notre Dame pitching staff ranks second in the ACC with 201 strikeouts, one of only two teams to eclipse 200 strikeouts as a staff (Virginia Tech). Micaela Kastor leads the team with 67, which is eighth-most in the conference. Over her last 10 appearances, Brianne Weiss has 43 strikeouts and has emerged as a reliable option as a freshman after getting her first career save in the win over UIC.

In the batters box, both Anna Holloway (.417) and Addison Amaral (.400) are hitting .400 or better at Melissa Cook Stadium so far this year. Holloway has a hit in three straight games while Amaral has four extra base hits in six games at home.

Game one of the series is set for a 6 p.m. start tomorrow evening at Melissa Cook Stadium. Admission to all Notre Dame softball games is free. Tomorrow’s game features a poster giveaway featuring the six sophomores this season.