SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame softball team closed out its weather postponed Friday contest with a 3-2 victory over the Boston College Eagles to start the day Saturday, before falling 10-9 in the nightcap to split the day’s events. The Irish are now 26-21 overall and 9-14 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Boston College moves to 26-21, and 6-14 in the league.
Alexis Laudenslager started both games, one on Friday and the originally scheduled game Saturday. In Friday’s contest, the graduate student worked 1.1 innings, allowing a hit, an earned run, struck out two and walked three before giving way to Shannon Becker. Becker closed out Friday and rolled that momentum into Saturday. In total, she threw 5.2 innings, scattering four hits, one earned run and struck out five as she earned her eighth win of the season.
The nightcap saw Laudenslager toss 3.0 innings, allowing three hits, three earned runs and three strikeouts before giving way to Micaela Kastor. Kastor suffered the loss, throwing 2.2 innings, allowing five hits, six earned runs and striking out four. Kami Kamzik tossed the final 1.1 innings, allowing two hits and an earned run to go with two strikeouts.
The Irish offense managed five hits, all singles in game one. Carlli Kloss, Addison Amaral, Cassidy Grimm, Rachel Allen and Mac Vasquez, each tallied a base knock. Amaral and Allen drove in runs, and Vasquez’s pinch hit single ignited the rally that tied the game in the fifth inning.
The second game saw the offense go for 12 hits, led by a 2-for-4 effort from Amaral. Amaral hit her ninth and 10th homers of the season, driving in three runs and scoring three times. Kloss, Winchell, and Anna Holloway each added a two-hit effort. Kloss drove in two runs, Cassidy Grimm added an RBI, and Holloway drove in two. Jane Kronenberger finished game two going 1-for-1 with an RBI, a run scored and drew a pair of walks.
How It Happened – Game 1
After a scoreless first inning, Boston College got on the board in the second. Three walks loaded the bases as the Irish went to the bullpen. Becker got the ground ball she needed, but a run scored on the fielder’s choice. Another ground ball retired the side as the Eagles took a 1-0 lead.
The Eagles doubled up their lead in the fourth, bringing home a lead off triple with a sacrifice fly.
The Irish responded in the bottom of the fourth with a solo run. Amaral led off with a single and moved up when Gaskins was walked. Allen singled to bring in the run and cut the lead in half.
Notre Dame tied the game in the bottom of the fifth. A lead-off pinch hit single from Vasquez got the rally going as a sacrifice and back-to-back walks loaded the bases. Amaral drove in the run with a sacrifice fly as the runner from third scored before the runner at second was out attempting to take third on the throw.
The game then entered a rain delay and the teams reconvened at noon Saturday.
The Irish scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth. A one-out single and a walk put two on. Kronenberger hit a topspin ground ball that was misplayed, allowing Grimm to score from second and give the lead to Notre Dame.
Becker worked through traffic in the seventh, as the tying run eventually landed 60 feet away from home. With two outs, the junior got the ground ball to the shortstop that was fielded and relayed to first for the final out.
How It Happened – Game 2
Notre Dame got the scoring started in the bottom of the first inning. Kloss led off with a single and scored when Amaral hit her team-leading ninth homer to the top row of the bleachers beyond left field.
Boston College responded for three runs in the third. A hit batter and a single put two on as a walk loaded the bases. A single through the right side brought in two before another single to center scored the third run of the inning as the Eagles took a 3-2 lead.
The Irish battled back, scoring four in their half of the third. A lead-off single from Winchell followed by three-consecutive walks drove in a run and loaded the bases. Jane Kronenberger brought in a run with a sacrifice fly to right as the throw home skipped in, allowing Gaskins and Grimm to move into scoring position. Holloway attacked the first pitch of her at bat, as she singled down the left field line to score two and put the Irish up 6-3.
A lead-off homer for BC in the fourth cut the lead down to 6-4, Irish.
With two outs in the bottom of the fourth, Amaral responded with a solo homer the opposite way to extend the lead back to three at 7-4.
Boston College roared back in the sixth, plating five runs, capping it with back-to-back homers to take the 9-7 lead. Another solo homer in the seventh extended the lead to 10-7.
Notre Dame battled in the bottom of the seventh, putting the go-ahead run into scoring position. A single, a walk and an error on a fielder’s choice loaded the bases with one out. Kloss singled through the right side to score two. Winchell followed with a single past the pitcher that the diving Boston College second baseman kept on the infield to hold the bases loaded. A fly ball to left field retired the side as the Irish couldn’t complete the comeback.
Up Next
The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. at Melissa Cook Stadium, with the action being broadcasted on the ACC Network.