HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The University of Notre Dame softball team avenged it’s Saturday night loss to the Ball State Cardinals with a dominant 11-3 victory over those same Cardinals Sunday. The Fighting Irish close the Marshall March Madness invitational at 4-1, and improve their season record to 12-9.
Shannon Becker got the start in the circle and threw her first complete game of the season. The junior threw 5.0 innings, allowing five hits, three runs, two earned and struck out four to earn her third win of the season, and third of the weekend.
Addison Amaral and Emily Tran paced the Irish offense, each going for a pair of hits. Amaral finished 2-for-3 with two doubles and five RBI. Tran was 2-for-2 with a walk and scored three runs. Karina Gaskins and Jane Kronenberger added hits in the contest, both of which left the yard. Gaskins drove in two and scored three runs, while also drawing a walk. Kronenberger’s home run put the game away, giving the Irish the eight run cushion it needed to end the game early.
How It Happened
After getting out of a bases loaded jam in the first, the Irish offense put Notre Dame up first. Carlli Kloss reached on an error and an infield hit put two on. Gaskins drew her 30th walk of the season to load the bases and Amaral delivered. A double to right scored two and a passed ball allowed Gaskins to score and put the Irish up 3-0 after the first inning.
Gaskins added to the lead in the third inning. Tran worked a walk and Gaskins followed with a homer to extend the lead to 5-0.
The Irish nearly doubled its lead in the bottom of the fourth. A one-out error started the rally, followed by another error on a fielder’s choice put runners on the corners. Kloss laid down a sacrifice bunt and reached on the fielder’s choice, with Tenley Sweet, who was pinch running for Rachel Allen, scoring on the play. An infield single loaded the bases for Amaral again. The freshman hit her second double of the day, clearing the bases and extending the lead to 9-0.
Ball State rallied for three in the top of the fight. A hit batter and a home run scored two, before an error and a double cut the lead to 11-3.
It took just two hitters for the Irish to put the game away in the bottom of the fifth. Cassidy Grimm led off with a walk and Kronenberger hammered her third home run in as many games to put Notre Dame up 11-3 and end the game via the mercy rule.
Next Up
The Irish open the home schedule Tuesday as they’ll host the Bowling Green Falcons in a doubleheader at Melissa Cook Stadium, beginning at 1 p.m.