SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Senior pitcher Payton Tidd threw a complete game as the University of Notre Dame defeated the No. 6 Northwestern Wildcats Tuesday evening at Melissa Cook Stadium. It’s the highest-ranked opponent Notre Dame has defeated this year, and the third team ranked in the top 10 nationally that the Fighting Irish have defeated. The 24th-ranked Irish improve to 28-7 on the season.
Tidd worked the full 7.0 innings in the circle, her seventh complete game of the season. She allowed just five hits, two earned runs and struck out five in the win. Tidd has appeared in all three games that have been against top 10 nationally ranked opponents, throwing complete games in two of the three.
The Irish offense was led by lead-off hitter Leea Hanks. Hanks finished 2-for-4 with the game-winning RBI and a double. Emma Clark, Abby Sweet, Karina Gaskins, Jane Kronenberger Miranda Johnson and Tidd all finished with a base knock. Kronenberger had an RBI double, and Brooke Marquez drove in the tying run in the sixth.
After two scoreless innings, the Irish got on the board in the bottom of the third inning. A one out single and a hit by pitch put two on. Kronenberger turned on a pitch high in the zone and sent a line drive double down the left field line. Sweet scored on the hit and Notre Dame took the 1-0 lead.
Northwestern responded by taking the lead in the top of the fourth with a two-run home run off the bat of Angela Zedak.
After a scoreless fifth, the Irish regained the lead in the sixth. A lead-off single and a walk put two on. A sacrifice bunt by Tidd moved the pair into scoring position for Marquez who chopped a ball back towards the shortstop . Northwestern misplayed the in-between hop allowing Johnson to score. Hanks followed with a double over the head of the Northwestern center fielder to score the game-winning run.
Tidd finished strong, striking out a pair in the final inning to hold off one of the top teams in the country.
Up Next
The Irish are on the road this weekend as the head to New York for a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series with the Syracuse Orange beginning Friday afternoon at 3 p.m.