SOUTH BEND, Ind. – In a back-and-forth battle that took nine innings to complete, the University of Notre Dame softball team found a way to win a 13-12 fight with the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets. After erasing a six-run deficit in the sixth and seventh innings, the Fighting Irish rallied from down one in the ninth to score two as Miranda Johnson delivered the walk-off single to earn the victory and help the Irish improve to 26-7, and 6-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Freshman Shannon Becker got the start in in the circle, throwing 3.0 innings, allowing five hits, five earned runs and struck out three. Alexis Holloway suffered the loss, working a third of an inning, but allowing four hits and four earned runs. Payton Tidd worked the final 5.2 innings, earning her 10th win of the season. She scattered five hits, three runs, one earned and picked up a strikeout. After Georgia Tech scored in four of the first five innings, Tidd held the Yellowjackets off the board for three-straight innings as the Irish mounted the comeback.
The Irish offense was paced by Emma Clark, who finished 5-for-6 with five runs scored. Leea Hanks finished 2-for-4, with three RBI, and scored four times. She made the most of her two hits as both left the yard, coming in the bottom of the seventh and ninth innings. Miranda Johnson came in off the bench and finished 2-for-3 with a game-high four RBI. Carlli Kloss, Karina Gaskins, Joley Mitchell and Tidd all added a hit in the contest. Gaskins hit a three-run homer, and Mitchell drove in a pair.
The Yellowjackets got on the board in the first inning with a solo home run by Emma Kauf.
The Irish responded in the bottom of the inning as Hanks led off with a four-pitch walk and Clark singled back up the middle. After a sacrifice bunt, Gaskins hit a three-run homer on a 1-2 count to take the lead 3-1.
Georgia Tech got a run back in the third inning. A lead-off singled moved on a sacrifice bunt and scored when Mallorie Black singled up the middle to cut the lead to 3-2.
Notre Dame extended the lead in the bottom of the third with two runs. A single, a walk and a hit batter loaded the bases, and a pair of sacrifice flies brought in two to extend the lead to 5-2, Irish.
The Yellowjackets broke the game open in the fourth, scoring seven runs on seven hits to take a 9-5 lead. Georgia Tech added two unearned runs in the fifth to lead 11-5.
The Irish rallied for three in the bottom of the sixth. Two walks and a single loaded the bases for Johnson who drove a single up the middle to score two. Mitchell followed with a single to left to score Sweet and the Irish cut the lead to 11-8.
Tidd kept Georgia Tech off the board in the seventh as the Irish continued to fight. A lead-off walk and a fielder’s choice turned the lineup over as Hanks drilled an 0-2 for a home run to right center to cut the lead to one. Clark doubled on the very next pitch to put the tying run in scoring position. After a strikeout and an intentional walk to Gaskins, Johnson hammered a line drive that was directly at a well-place Georgia Tech defender, but it bounced out of her glove, allowing a run to score and tie the game
After a scoreless eighth inning, Georgia Tech regained the lead with a solo home run in the ninth.
Hanks led off the bottom of the ninth with a solo homer to tie the game at 12. Clark followed with a well-struck ball right at the shortstop who couldn’t make the play. A groundout moved her into scoring position and an intentional walk to Gaskins loaded the bases for Johnson’s heroics. With the count full, she pulled a line drive through the right side score Clark as the Irish walked it off for the first time this season at Melissa Cook Stadium.
Up Next
The Irish and Georgia Tech wrap up the series Sunday at noon at Melissa Cook Stadium.