DURHAM, N.C. – The University of Notre Dame softball team extended its season another day as the Fighting Irish earned a 7-4 win over the North Carolina Tar Heels Wednesday evening at the Duke Softball Stadium in the opening round of the ACC Tournament. The win in the ACC Tournament is the first of its kind for the Irish since the 2019 season, when the Irish knocked off Duke.
Graduate pitcher Alexis Laudenslager started in the circle. The San Diego native threw 3.0 innings, allowing three hits, four runs, two earned and walked four. Micaela Kastor came on in relief, throwing 4.0 shutout innings, allowing just three hits and striking out four.
The Irish offense went for 12 hits in the contest. Addison Amaral and Anna Holloway led the charge, each finishing 3-for-4. Holloway hit her second homer of the season, and scored twice. Amaral drove in a run with a double. Carlli Kloss, and Jane Kronenberger each added a pair of hits, Kronenberger hitting a solo homer, and Kloss finishing with an RBI and a run scored. Rachel Allen and Mac Vasquez each added hits in the contest.
How It Happened
North Carolina struck first, scoring three runs in the bottom of the second inning. A single and three walks loaded the bases and brought in a run. A chopper to second base was misplayed as two more runs scored and the Tar Heels took the 3-0 lead.
The Irish got on the board in the fourth. On a 2-2 pitch, Kronenberger drove a ball over the fence in left for the first run of the game. Holloway followed with a solo shot of her own to cut the lead to 3-2.
North Carolina extended the lead to two in the bottom of the fourth. A lead-off double, a walk and a bunt single loaded the bases. A fly out to right recorded the second out of the frame, but was deep enough to score the runner from third and extend the lead to 4-2.
Notre Dame stormed back in the top of the sixth, scoring five runs. Allen started the rally with a single through the left side and was lifted for a pinch runner. Holloway followed with a two-out single as Tenley Sweet went first to third on the play. Vasquez pinch hit and on a 2-2 pitch, drove a single to left to bring in a run. Kloss followed by jumping on the first pitch to drive in Holloway and tie the game. Mickey Winchell bounced a ground ball up the middle that deflected off the pitcher to the second baseman, but the throw was off target, allowing two to score. Amaral closed the scoring by driving a double to the gap in right center as the Irish took the 7-4 lead.
Kastor took care of business in the sixth and seventh. After giving up a lead off single in the sixth, she got some help from Kloss who threw out the attempted base stealer for the final out of the inning. Kastor finished the game by sitting the Tar Heels down in order in the seventh with a ground ball, a strikeout and a fly ball.
Up Next
The Irish will take on the second-seeded Florida State Seminoles at 5 p.m. Thursday evening in the second round of the ACC Tournament.