SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame softball team completed a three-game sweep of the Louisville Cardinals in six innings Sunday afternoon. The Fighting Irish defeated Louisville 9-1, scoring two in the sixth to end the game early. Notre Dame finishes the regular season at 39-9, and 16-5 in Atlantic Coast Conference play.
Sunday’s contest marked the last regular season game at Melissa Cook Stadium for the senior class of Sarah Genz, Quinn Biggio, Shelby Grimm, Payton Tidd, Emma Clark, Alexis Holloway and Abby Sweet. Prior to the game, the seniors were honored for their contributions to the University of Notre Dame, and Irish softball.
On a day that focused on the upperclassmen, it was the freshman who shined in the circle. Shannon Becker threw a complete game, throwing 6.0 innings, allowing just four hits, one earned run and struck out seven to earn her 10th win.
Clark, Sweet and Carlli Kloss led the charge offensively. Clark finished 3-for-4 with two RBI and scored a run. Sweet added a 2-for-4 game with an RBI and scored once. Kloss finished 2-for-2 with four RBI, scored twice, hit the first home run of her career and drove in another with a sacrifice fly.
Leea Hanks and Karina Gaskins each finished with a hit and drove in a run in the win.
Louisville struck first, getting a solo run in the first inning. A one-out walk came home after a couple singles in the first inning to put the Cardinals up 1-0.
Notre Dame broke the game open in the bottom of the second, scoring six runs. Gaskins led off the inning drawing a walk and another walk put two on with two outs. Kloss lit the match that ignited the rally as she dropped a triple on the left field foul line, just beyond the diving Louisville outfielder. A walk drawn by Brooke Marquez put runners on the corners for Sweet who muscled a double to left to bring in one. Clark chopped a single up the middle to bring in two before scoring when Gaskins hammered a line drive just over the leaping shortstop to put the Irish up 6-1.
The Irish scratched home an unearned run in the third. Back-to-back errors put runners on second and third and Kloss drove a fly ball to center field to score one and extend the lead.
Notre Dame put the game away in the sixth inning, scoring two runs. Kloss led off the sixth with the first home run of her career. Sweet drove a single to left to keep the line moving. Clark reached with a single to left where it was misplayed, allowing both Clark and Sweet to move up. Hanks hit a fly ball to foul territory in deep left where it was caught. Sweet tagged up and scored on the play to give the Irish the eight-run cushion and the victory.
Up Next
The Irish await to see who they will play later this week at the ACC Tournament held in Pittsburgh.