MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. – The University of Notre Dame softball team didn’t allow a run in 14 innings of play Saturday afternoon, riding the strong pitching to a 2-0 day. Payton Tidd and Shannon Becker combined to throw the two games, striking out a combined 13 hitters, allowing just five hits on the day. The Fighting Irish improve to 8-4 with the doubleheader sweep.
Tidd got the start in the circle in game one. The graduate student worked into the seventh inning, allowing just three hits, striking out six without allowing a run to earn her fourth win of the season. Becker came on in relief, recording all three outs in the seventh to earn her first save of the season, and fifth of her career.
The Irish offense had six hits in game one. Tidd led the offensive attack, going 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and scored a run. Leea Hanks, Karina Gaskins, Cassidy Grimm and Macie Eck each recorded a hit in the contest. Carlli Kloss and Lexi Orozco added RBI with a sacrifice fly and a ground out, respectively.
Becker kept the ball for game two. The sophomore threw her first complete game of the season, striking out seven hitters, allowing just two hits in her third win of the year.
Hanks, Jane Kronenberger, Gaskins and Eck each tallied a hit in the contest. Hanks added a double with a run scored with Joley Mitchell scoring the other run on an error.
How It Happened – FIU
Game one remained scoreless until the top of the fifth inning. Tidd led off with a single back up the middle and moved up when Rachel Allen reached on a chopper to short. Eck laid down the sacrifice bunt to move two into scoring position. Kloss followed and lifted a fly ball to right to score Tidd and give Notre Dame the 1-0 lead.
The Irish doubled up its lead in the sixth, scoring a solo run. After an error prolonged the Irish offensive half, Grimm delivered a single to right on the first pitch she saw. Tidd followed with a double to right center to score one and add an insurance run at 2-0.
Notre Dame again doubled its score, this time in the top of the seventh. A single flipped the lineup over and a hit batter put two on. A one-out intentional walk to Kronenberger loaded the bases for Gaskins. The junior hammered a ball that short-hopped the third baseman, allowing one to score and everyone to advance safely. Orozco followed with a ground ball, scoring one to extend the lead to 4-0.
The Panthers brought the tying run to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Becker dialed it in and got a fly out to Hanks in center field for the final out to preserve the shutout.
How It Happened – Siena
The Irish struck first in the bottom of the second inning. Mitchell drew a lead-off walk and stole second. A ground ball moved her to third and a throwing error allowed her to score as the Irish took the lead 1-0.
Notre Dame doubled its lead in the fifth. With two outs, Hanks hit a double to left center and came around to score when Kronenberger singled down the third baseline.
Becker continued her dominance through the sixth and seventh, facing one over minimum.
Up Next
The Irish will play two more games tomorrow, again taking on FIU at 10 a.m. before finishing the weekend with a matchup with the Dartmouth Big Green at 12:30 p.m.