SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Karina Gaskins drove in the game-winning run with two strikes and two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning against the No. 21/20 Clemson Tigers at Melissa Cook Stadium Sunday evening. The Fighting Irish saw the lead disappear in the top of the frame, but the Irish offense battled back to win the game in its final at bat by a score of 6-5. Notre Dame improves to 24-20 on the season and 8-13 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Clemson is now 31-15 and 13-8 in the league.
Alexis Laudenslager started in the circle. She threw 4.2 innings, allowing four hits, four walks and struck out five. Shannon Becker earned the win, throwing the final 2.1 innings, allowing six hits, five runs, three earned and struck out one. Irish pitching battled one of the top offenses in the conference all night, stranding 11 Tigers on base throughout the game, including four innings in which Clemson had two or more runners on base.
The Irish offense had seven hits in the contest, led by a 2-for-4 effort from the lead-off hitter Carlli Kloss. Kloss delivered her ninth double of the season and scored a run. Mickey Winchell, Gaskins, Rachel Allen, Anna Holloway and Emily Tran each tallied a hit in the win. Gaskins was clutch in the bottom of the seventh inning as she finished 1-for-3 with two RBI and a walk.
How It Happened
The Irish came out fighting in the first inning, scoring four runs. Kloss started it off with a double to right field and moved to the corners on an infield hit from Winchell. Amaral drove the run in with a ground ball to the right side to put the Irish up 1-0. A couple fielder’s choices kept two on for Allen, who hit her fourth homer of the season to put the Irish up 4-0.
After four scoreless innings, Clemson got on the board in the top of the sixth. A one-out walk and a double scored a run and turned the lineup over. A walk put two on as back-to-back singles cut the Irish lead to 4-3.
The Tigers continued their rally in the seventh, taking the lead. Back-to-back singles started the rally, as the runner went first to third on the second single, and the batter advanced on the throw, putting two in scoring position. A pinch hitter came on and laid down an attempted sacrifice bunt, but Becker fielded her position, flipped to Kloss who laid the tag to preserve the lead. The next hitter chopped a ball at the Irish shortstop, which the Irish defense couldn’t handle as two scored and the Tigers took the 5-4 lead.
Notre Dame battled back in the bottom of the seventh. Holloway hit a short-hopper to the Clemson third baseman who couldn’t field it, allowing her to reach. Tran singled to second and the Irish were in business with no outs. After a pop up on the infield for the first out, Winchell drew a five-pitch walk to load the bases. A strikeout set the stage for Gaskins’s heroics. After taking the first two pitches for strikes, Gaskins roped the 1-2 pitch to left field, scoring Mikayla LaPlaca from third and Tran wheeled around from second, sliding in for the game-winning run.
Up Next
The Irish continue their homestand Tuesday and Wednesday as they host UIC and Central Michigan at 5 p.m. for both contests.