CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Notre Dame fell to North Carolina 0-6 in game one of the four-game series on Friday, as senior Alexis Holloway, despite firing eight strikeouts in just 4.2 innings, took the loss. Holloway is now 4-3 on the season.
The Irish compiled six hits on the day, but all six were left on base. Senior Abby Sweet and freshman Karina Gaskins both notched doubles from the batter’s box. In the field, freshman Carlli Kloss and junior Shelby Grimm split time behind the plate at catcher, while senior Morgan Ryan entered in relief for the last 1.1 inning, striking out one.
Sweet extended her on-base streak to 29 games (spanning since Feb. 15, 2020), while junior Emma Clark also upped her on-base stint to 11 games (beginning Feb. 14, 2021).
How It Happened
Sweet led off the first inning with a double, but was tagged out at home prior to the score on a subsequent fielder’s choice ball, and the Irish ended the first scoreless. Holloway struck out her first batter before a walk, a hit and a fielder’s choice loaded the bases. Another walk brought in Carolina’s first score of the day. Holloway notched her second strikeout before giving up another walk for a score, and responded with the third strikeout to end the inning down two runs.
Both teams went scoreless in the second, and the Irish were again unsuccessful at the plate in the third. A leadoff Carolina triple turned into a run on a passed ball on the next at-bat, and the Tar Heels put two more on base before graduate student Chelsea Purcell fielded a bunt for the first out. Holloway struck out another batter, and then fired a shot to catcher Kloss to catch UNC’s attempted steal home. The inning ended with the Irish down 0-3.
The fourth inning passed without a run from either team, and Notre Dame did not score in the fifth. After Purcell took care of the first out in the bottom of the fifth, Carolina tripled, and then got home on the next at-bat, thanks to an Irish error. Later, with two on base, the Tar Heels scored on a wild pitch. Ryan entered to pitch for Holloway, allowing an RBI single, and the inning ended at 0-6.
Gaskins delivered a double in the sixth, but was left on base. Ryan struck out the first Carolina batter of the sixth, and Marino took care of the second out, a grounder. While Carolina singled, the runner was caught stealing, as Grimm fired to sophomore Brooke Marquez at second. The Irish hitting campaign in the seventh fell short, as Notre Dame went three up, three down.
Up Next
Both squads will return to the field Saturday for a doubleheader, with games at 1 p.m. ET and 4 p.m. ET. The game at 1 p.m. will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra, and the later game will be broadcast on ACC Network.