SOUTH BEND, Ind. – After leading the University of Notre Dame softball team to a perfect 5-0 week, sophomore Karina Gaskins was named the National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s National Player of the Week for her efforts. This is the first time Gaskins has earned the national award. Gaskins was also named the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Week for her efforts, the first weekly conference award for the sophomore.
Gaskins led the Irish to a pair of midweek wins in the first games at Melissa Cook Stadium in the 2022 season, before sweeping the Pittsburgh Panthers in all three games at Pitt. She finished the week going 12-for-16, with a double, two home runs, scored eight runs, drove in 11 and earned a 1.188 slugging percentage. She drove in at least one run in all five games, with four multi-RBI games and four multi-hit games.
She started the week against Detroit Mercy, going 1-for-2 as she helped the Irish tie the record for the most runs scored in a game and the largest margin of victory in program history. Gaskins became the second Notre Dame player to earn four hits in a game this year against Western Michigan as she drove in two and scored a run in the win.
In the series with Pitt, every hit she connected on drove in at least one run throughout the weekend. She came up clutch in the first and third games against Pitt, hitting home runs in the seventh and sixth innings of games to add insurance in the victories. Her two-run home in the first game of the series extended the lead to 7-4 as the Irish gave up a run in the bottom of the seventh before earning the win. Finished the week going 3-for-3 with another home run to extend the lead in the sixth inning of the finale.
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Gaskins and the Irish are scheduled to play DePaul at Melissa Cook Stadium Wednesday evening at 5 p.m.