April 17, 2015
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Seeing the University of Notre Dame softball team take the field in navy blue and orange can mean only one thing, another Strikeout Cancer weekend has arrived. The Irish punctuate the fifth annual Strikeout Cancer festivities with a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) series against Syracuse this weekend at Melissa Cook Stadium.
Saturday’s doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. (ET), with the second game expected to begin at approximately 3 p.m. Sunday’s series finale is tentatively set for a noon (ET) first pitch.
Live stats will be available for all three games via CBS Gametracker at UND.com. A live video stream will also be provided on WatchND.
Notre Dame softball’s signature awareness initiative, Strikeout Cancer, began supporting leukemia awareness in 2011 in solidarity for Irish head coach Deanna Gumpf and her daughter, Tatum, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the summer of 2010 and has been in remission since the fall of 2012. Now an annual celebration, the proceeds directly benefit South Bend’s Memorial Children’s Hospital (where Tatum started her treatments) and children throughout Indiana who have been diagnosed with cancer.
In its fifth year, Strikeout Cancer has raised more than $100,000 for children battling pediatric cancer, helping both the Irish and National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) StrikeOut Cancer initiatives. Funds raised have gone toward “wish trips” for cancer patients and two playrooms at South Bend’s Memorial Children’s Hospital, among other contributions.
Commemorative 2015 Strikeout Cancer t-shirts are on sale now, with all proceeds going directly to Notre Dame softball’s Strikeout Cancer beneficiaries. T-shirts are available for $30 each, and can be purchased by contacting Notre Dame softball associate coach Kris Ganeff at Ganeff.2@nd.edu.
No. 25 Notre Dame (34-11, 13-5 ACC) looks to continue its climb up the ACC standings after sweeping its last four conference opponents, stringing together a 20-game winning streak overall in the process. The Irish enter the weekend third place in the regular season conference standings, with the top eight teams qualifying for next month’s ACC Softball Championship at Tech Softball Park in Blacksburg, Virginia.
The Irish have posted six straight wins in Strikeout Cancer series games dating back to a three-game sweep of Rutgers in 2013. Notre Dame is a combined 9-3 (.750) during the weekend of Strikeout Cancer since the initiative began in 2011.
Notre Dame and Syracuse (17-22, 1-10 ACC) will officially meet for the first time in ACC play after last season’s series between the teams was canceled due to unseasonable weather in New York State. The Irish own a 20-5 (.800) all-time record against the Orange, with 18 of the 20 wins coming in BIG EAST Conference play from 2001-12.
For the latest news and updates on all things Notre Dame softball, visit www.und.com/softball, follow the Irish @NDsoftball and @NDcoachGumpf on Twitter and at Instagram.com/notredamesoftball, and Like the team at Facebook.com/NDSoftball.
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No. 25 Notre Dame vs. Syracuse
April 18-19, 2015
Melissa Cook Stadium (1,250)
Notre Dame, Ind.
No. 25 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
(34-11, 13-5 ACC in 2015)
Syracuse Orange
(17-22, 1-10 ACC in 2015)
Notre Dame Strikeout Cancer Weekend Schedule
Saturday, April 18
/WatchND
/WatchND
Sunday, April 19
/WatchND
IRISH SLAP HITS
·   Notre Dame improved to 34-11 this season with its 20th straight victory, a 3-2 midweek walk-off win over Northwestern on Wednesday at Melissa Cook Stadium. The Irish have now won their last 20 games at home dating back to a 7-2 triumph over Valparaiso on April 24, 2014.
 ·   During its current 20-game winning streak this season, Notre Dame has outscored opponents by a combined margin of 164-31.
·   The 2015 Notre Dame team became just the third Irish team in the 27-year history of the program to win 20 or more consecutive contests in a single season. The current Notre Dame squad equaled the 20-game winning streak of the 2003 BIG EAST Conference champion Irish, with the standard bearer remaining the 33 straight wins for the 2001 Notre Dame team that led the NCAA that season.
·   Notre Dame is 9-3 (.750) in Strikeout Cancer series games since the initiative began during the 2011 season. The Irish have won their last six games contested during the weekend of Strikeout Cancer dating back to a three-game sweep of Rutgers in 2013.
·   The Irish have won 13 consecutive games in Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) play dating back to a 12-0 win in five innings at No. 9/10 Florida State on March 15.
·   Sophomore All-American Karley Wester was named one of the Top 26 Finalists for the 2015 USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year award on April 8. Wester is the second Irish player to be selected as a finalist for the USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year award, joining two-time All-American Emilee Koerner (2013).
·   Irish softball is one of only two Notre Dame varsity athletic programs to have never posted a losing record. The softball team clinched its 27th straight season with a .500 record or above with an 8-0 win in six innings over Butler on April 8 at Melissa Cook Stadium. Notre Dame’s three-time national champion women’s soccer program has also logged 27 straight winning seasons since its inception at the varsity level in the fall of 1988.
On This Date…
Notre Dame is a combined 21-4 (.840) all-time in games played on April 18 of a given season. The Irish have won 10 of the last 11 games they have played on the date since downing Bowling Green 8-5 at Ivy Field during the 2002 season.
Notre Dame has added a 19-1 (.950) mark on April 19, the planned date of this weekend’s series finale against Syracuse at Melissa Cook Stadium.
Walk-Off Extends Win Streak To 20
Senior co-captain and two-time All-American Emilee Koerner lined a two-out single up the middle in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift Notre Dame to a thrilling 3-2 walk-off win over Northwestern at Melissa Cook Stadium on Wednesday.
Notre Dame won its 20th straight game overall with the victory over the Wildcats, becoming just the third Irish team in the 27-year history of the program to win 20 or more consecutive contests in a single season.
Fifth Anniversary For Strikeout Cancer
Notre Dame softball’s signature awareness initiative, Strikeout Cancer, began supporting leukemia awareness in 2011 in solidarity for Irish head coach Deanna Gumpf and her daughter, Tatum, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the summer of 2010 and has been in remission since the fall of 2012. Now an annual celebration, the proceeds directly benefit South Bend’s Memorial Children’s Hospital (where Tatum started her treatments) and children throughout Indiana who have been diagnosed with cancer.
In its fifth year, Strikeout Cancer has raised more than $100,000 for children battling pediatric cancer, helping both the Irish and NFCA StrikeOut Cancer initiatives. Funds raised have gone toward “wish trips” for cancer patients and two playrooms at South Bend’s Memorial Children’s Hospital.
The 2015 Strikeout Cancer festivities began with the popular trivia night fundraiser on Friday night at St. Joe Farm in Granger, with special promotions and giveaways highlighting this weekend’s series against Syracuse.
Beriont Comes Into Her Own
Freshman pitcher Katie Beriont entered in relief for the second straight day for Notre Dame and hurled a scoreless top of the seventh inning against Northwestern on Wednesday. Beriont earned her fourth straight decision appearing in relief for Notre Dame, dating back to claiming the win in an 8-5 victory over Boston College last Saturday.
Beriont and sophomore Rachel Nasland have each posted separate four-game win/save streaks this season (three wins, one save each), with Nasland accomplishing the feat from Feb. 20-27 against UNLV, No. RV/25 Texas, No. 7/8 Georgia and No. 20 Missouri.
Beriont has recorded a 4-1 mark and a team-low 2.23 ERA in 21 appearances (two starts) during her first season, adding one save. Beriont has allowed one earned run in her last 25.2 innings (0.27 ERA), logging a 3-0 record in her past 14 appearances.
Simon And Wester Rack Up The SB
Senior co-captain Jenna Simon and sophomore All-American Karley Wester etched their names into Notre Dame history by each stealing second base during Tuesday’s win over Bowling Green.
Simon became just the second Irish player to swipe 70 career bags with her stolen base in the sixth inning. Simon is six steals from tying Megan Ciolli (`05) for the Notre Dame program record of 76 career stolen bases, and along with Wester and Ciolli (2004-05) is one of only three players to steal 20 or more bases in consecutive seasons.
Wester became the fastest Notre Dame player to ever steal 50 career bases, swiping second later in the sixth inning against Bowling Green. Wester needed only 98 career games to reach the steals milestone, and leads all Irish players with 24 stolen bases this season.
Wester A Top 26 Finalist For USA Softball POY
The Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America and USA Softball named sophomore All-American Karley Wester one of the Top 26 Finalists for the 2015 USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year award on April 8.
Wester is the second Notre Dame softball player in the last three seasons to be selected as a finalist for the USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year award, joining two-time All-American Emilee Koerner (2013). Wester and Koerner, both sophomores at the time of their selection, are the only two Irish players in the history of the award to earn a finalist nod.
30 Days Of Perfection For ND
Since the conclusion of its series at North Carolina State on March 8, Notre Dame has posted a 22-2 (.917) mark, which has included 13 consecutive ACC victories dating back to a 12-0 win in five innings over No. 9/10 Florida State on March 15. The Irish have outscored opponents 181-45 since downing Campbell 4-3 on March 10 to start the streak.
Irish In The ACC
Notre Dame officially opened its second season in the ACC at North Carolina State on March 7. Taking into account all prior games, including those before joining the league, the Irish are a combined 142-45 (.759) against the current ACC membership.
Irish Against The Opposition
Notre Dame is 20-5 (.800) all-time against Syracuse entering this weekend’s series, winning nine of the last 12 meetings between the teams.