CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The University of Notre Dame softball team dropped the first game of its Atlantic Coast Conference series with the North Carolina Tar Heels Thursday evening at Anderson Stadium. The Fighting Irish scored first, but couldn’t hold off the Tar Heel lineup late. Notre Dame’s six-game winning streak is snapped with the loss as the Irish are now 20-11 and 5-5 in the ACC. North Carolina improves to 23-8, and 5-5 in conference.
Alexis Laudenslager got the start in the circle, throwing 5.0 innings. The graduate student allowed seven hits, five runs, none earned and struck out seven while suffering the loss. Micaela Kastor came on in relief, throwing the sixth inning. The sophomore allowed three runs on four hits.
The Irish offense finished with six hits, with two from Rachel Allen. Carlli Kloss, Emily Tran, Anna Holloway and Mickey Winchell each tallied a hit in the contest, with Kloss and Winchell driving in runs.
How It Happened
The Irish struck first in the top of the third. Allen singled up the middle and was lifted for a pinch runner. Tenley Sweet pinch ran and moved up with a sacrifice bunt from Anna Holloway. Kloss delivered the run with a single to center as Notre Dame took the early lead.
North Carolina took the lead in the bottom of the fifth, scoring five runs on five hits, taking advantage of a Notre Dame error.
The Tar Heels added three more in the sixth. Using a first pitch single, an infield single and a bunt single to load the bases. After a lineout and a fielder’s choice, Abby Settlemyre drove a fly ball to right that landed just in front of the diving right fielder, rolling to the wall for a bases clearing triple.
Notre Dame got a rally going in the seventh, but hit into some bad luck. With runners on first and second, Holloway turned on a pitch and it was snagged by the diving Tar Heel third baseman, who got the out at third. After a single from Winchell scored one, Kloss drove a line drive the other way, but right at the third baseman again. The relay to first was in time for the double play as the Irish dropped the opener.
Up Next
The Irish and Tar Heels are back in action Friday afternoon with a 1 p.m. first pitch in the second game of the series.