SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame softball team opens up the home schedule Tuesday evening as the Fighting Irish host the Miami University Red Hawks Tuesday evening, followed by a matchup with the Western Michigan Broncos Wednesday. Both games will start at 5 p.m. and be streamed live on ACC Network Extra.
The Irish enter having won four-straight games, outscoring their opponents 43-9 during the winning streak. These will be the first games at Melissa Cook Stadium this season, a place where the Irish have gone a combined 42-3 since 2019, and 30-1 at home over the last two seasons.
Notre Dame’s offense hit a groove over the final games in North Carolina. In total, the team is now hitting .307, with 26 home runs and 33 doubles. Lexi Orozco leads the squad with 24 RBI, tying with Karina Gaskins for a team-best six home runs. Gaskins leads the ACC and is second in the country with 24 walks drawn this season. Her 1.04 walks per game mark also ranks second nationally. Carlli Kloss leads the offense with a .339 batting average, connecting for 12 extra-base hits. She’s scored a team-best 20 runs and driven in 12.
Payton Tidd has been the workhorse in the circle. The graduate student has worked in 13 games, making eight starts and thrown a team-best 66.1 innings. She’s earned eight wins, striking out 62 hitters and limiting opponents to a .246 average against. Micaela Kastor has been impressive in her rookie season, owning a 4-0 mark with three saves to go with a 0.88 ERA. She’s allowed just five earned runs in 39.2 innings, striking out 35 hitters. Shannon Becker adds four wins, earning at team-high nine starts. She’s worked 46.0 innings, striking out 36 hitters in the process.
The home opener pits the Irish against a 14-8 Miami Red Hawk team that was picked to finish tops in the Mid-American Conference. The last meeting between Miami and Notre Dame was at the 2021 NCAA Lexington Regional, where the Irish started the tournament with a 3-2 victory.
The Miami offense is one of the best in the country, hitting at a .318 team average. Allie Cummings leads the team with a .365 average, hitting nine home runs and five doubles to go with 17 runs scored and 20 runs driven in. Karli Spaid adds a .311 average and a team-best 23 RBI. She’s hit seven home runs to go with four doubles. Each have stolen at least four bases as the team has swiped 23 bases in 26 attempts.
Brianna Pratt leads the pitching staff, appearing in 15 games, starting 13 and logging 80.0 innings. Pratt owns a 4.29 ERA, as opponents hit for a .293 average against her, and striking out 68 hitters. Laurelai DePew has earned a 3-1 record in seven appearances. She’s started five games and thrown in 25.2 innings. Taylor Turner rounds out the staff with a 7.09 ERA, working in 26.2 innings this season.
Western Michigan enters the midweek matchup with a 6-11 overall mark. The Broncos saw their first conference weekend against Buffalo canceled as Wednesday’s game will be the first since March 11th for WMU.
Addison Hudson leads the team with a .465 average, starting all 17 games this season. She has no extra base hits, but scored five runs and driven in five of her own. Courtney Farrish leads the offense with 10 RBI, hitting a pair of home runs to go with a team-leading nine doubles. Alyssa Kramer adds a team-best 13 runs scored, hitting at a .347 average with seven RBI.
The Bronco pitching staff has used three pitchers to start its 17 games. Rissa Bajusz owns eight starts and 12 appearances, throwing a team-high 49.2 innings. She’s struck out 42 hitters as opponents hit for a .251 average against her. Autumn Godwin adds five starts and seven relief appearances. She’s thrown 30.2 innings, striking out 16 and opponents hit .285 against. Madysyn Lopez adds four starts and seven total appearances, logging 14.2 innings.