CLEMSON, S.C. – The University of Notre Dame softball team dropped its final game of the ACC/B1G Challenge Sunday morning at Clemson. The Fighting Irish took on the #13/11 Northwestern Wildcats in the finale, falling 10-3. Notre Dame drops to 5-4 with the loss, and the Wildcats improve to 4-4.
In the circle, Shannon Becker got the start, throwing 3.0 innings. The sophomore allowed five hits, five earned runs and struck out five. Micaela Kastor was first in relief. The freshman worked 2.0 innings, allowing a pair of hits, two runs, none earned and struck out one. Paige Cowley made her collegiate appearance in the circle, working 2.0 innings, allowing two this, two earned runs to go with a strikeout.
Jane Kronenberger led the Irish offense, recording three of the team’s eight hits. Kronenberger finished 3-for-3 with a run scored. Carlli Kloss, Lexi Orozco, Joley Mitchell, Macie Eck and Mickey Winchell each added a hit. Kloss led off the third with her second home run of the season, and Orozco added her second homer in the same frame.
How It Happened
After a scoreless two innings, the teams combined for eight runs in the third. For the Wildcats, a walk and a single put two on. Back-to-back singles drove in two runs and a hit batter loaded the bases up for Nikki Cuchran. Cuchran delivered a bases-clearing double to the wall in left center to drive in three and take a 5-0 lead.
The Irish used the long ball in its half of the third. Kloss led off with a home run down the right field line. After a Kronenberger single, Orozco hammered a home run to left center to cut the lead down to 5-3, Northwestern.
The Wildcats took advantage of some misplays on the infield to score three runs in the fifth. A lead-off single stayed on the base paths after an error. Cuchran singled to drive in one. A fielding error with the bases loaded allowed another run to score before a bases loaded walk extended the lead to 8-3.
Northwestern added two more runs in the top of the seventh thanks to a two-RBI single from Maeve Nelson.
Up Next
The Irish return to the diamond next weekend as they will play in THE Spring Games in Madeira Beach, Florida. Notre Dame will play doubleheaders on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.