NOTRE DAME, Ind. — RV/RV Notre Dame (31-12, 20-10 ACC) clinched the series win over Boston College (13-32, 8-24 ACC) with two run-rule victories Saturday, earning a 10-2, six-inning win in Game One and a 10-0, five-inning shutout in Game Two.
With the wins, the Irish notch their 32nd 30-win season in program history, and improve the current win streak to 14 games. Notre Dame has won 19-consecutive contests at home with one more to play this season.
The 14-consecutive wins are the longest streak for Notre Dame since a 19-game streak in 2016 (Feb. 20 – March 22).
Junior Payton Tidd earned her 15th win of the season in Game One, pitching a complete game and improving to 15-5 in 2021. Senior Morgan Ryan got the victory in the complete-game shutout in Game Two, improving to 3-1 on the season.
Sophomore Leea Hanks was stellar in the batter’s box, notching two hits and three RBI with a home run in each of the two games, totaling 6 RBI on the day with two homers. Junior Emma Clark shone in the first game, with three hits and three RBI, in addition to two runs and a stolen base, while freshman Karina Gaskins was on fire in the second game, earning 6 RBI in just two at-bats (three-run homer, three-RBI double).
Senior Abby Sweet reached base in every plate appearance in the first game, notching a hit, a walk and two HBP. She also drew two HBP in the second game, increasing her season total to 18.
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME ONE
Boston College came out strong in the first inning with a leadoff single, and the runner stole second. A sac bunt pushed the runner to third, and after a HBP, the Eagles sent a sac fly to score the runner, ending the top up 1-0.
In the bottom half, Sweet led off with a single of her own, reaching second on a single from Clark. Both runners stole at the same time, reaching second and third. Graduate student Katie Marino sent a sac fly to score Sweet and even the score. Gaskins then walked, and with runners on first and third, junior Shelby Grimm entered to pinch run for Gaskins. Grimm stole second, and Hanks delivered an infield single to score Clark. The inning ended with the Irish up 2-1.
Boston College added a hit in the second, but was unable to score, and the Irish put two on base with runners on second and third before a strikeout ended the inning without a score.
Both teams went three up, three down in the third. The Eagles notched a double in the fourth, but the runner was left on base. In the bottom of the inning, senior Sarah Genz led off with a single, and freshman Carlli Kloss entered to pinch run. Tidd singled to push Kloss to second, and graduate student Chelsea Purcell followed with a well-placed bunt to reach base and push the runners once base each. After a double play, Sweet took an HBP, her first of the day, to again load the bases. Clark then singled to score Tidd and Purcell, and the Irish went up 4-1 at the end of the fourth.
Boston College led off with two singles in the fifth to place runners on first and third. Another single scored one run, but Tidd and the Irish were able to strand the other two runners on base to limit the damage to 4-2. Notre Dame was unable to score in the bottom half of the inning.
The Eagles added a hit but no runs in the sixth, and with the Irish up to bat, Purcell drew a walk to lead off. A sacrifice bunt from freshman Cassidy Grimm pushed Purcell to second, and Purcell reached third on a wild pitch. Sweet was hit by another pitch, and Clark again singled to push Sweet to second and score Purcell.
Both Sweet and Clark took another base on a wild pitch, and after a lineout, another wild pitch brought Sweet home to score and Clark to third. Gaskins followed with a double to score Clark, and Hanks immediately followed with her first home run of the day, a two-run shot to put the Irish up 9-2. After Genz walked, reaching second on a wild pitch, sophomore Miranda Johnson entered to pinch hit and slammed a single to score Genz, reaching the run-rule mark and earning the victory.
GAME TWO
Ryan and the Irish sat the Eagles down in order to start the first inning, and Sweet led off for the Irish with another HBP. She then stole second, and after a popup, Marino trapped Boston College in a fielder’s choice, and both runners were safe. Gaskins then homered to score all three. Hanks and Genz followed with singles, but the inning ended with a 3-0 Irish score.
Boston College was unable to get on the board in the second, and in the bottom half, Cassidy Grimm singled with one out. Sweet was again hit by a pitch, pushing Cassidy Grimm to second. Clark forced a fielder’s choice on which all three runners were safe, and after a strikeout, with the bases loaded, Gaskins doubled to score the three runners and go up 6-0. Hanks immediately followed by forcing an error, and Gaskins scored from second to end the inning up 7-0.
Neither team was able to score in the third, adding no hits, and the Eagles were again kept off the board in the fourth, In the bottom of the inning, Clark delivered a one-out single, and stole second. On a strikeout, she took third on a passed ball, and with another wild pitch, she sped home to score. Gaskins walked, and Kloss entered to pinch run, later stealing second. Hanks then sent her second home run of the day outside the walls to score two runs, and the inning ended at 10-0.
Ryan stayed in the circle for the fifth, as the Irish took care of two groundouts before a walk and a single placed runners on first and second. The next batter sent a shot to Ryan, who fielded it to Genz to preserve the 10-0 shutout.
UP NEXT
The teams will return for the regular season finale Sunday at Noon ET at Melissa Cook Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.