Softball Drops ACC Opener to Notre Dame 10-3

Friday, March 16

LOUISVILLE, KY

2:00 PM

University of Louisville

20-6, 0

NOTRE DAME

17-8, 0

Notre Dame

Louisville

March 16, 2018 | Softball

Box Score Notre Dame 10 - Louisville 3 Photo Gallery

Cards and Irish will play game two Saturday at 1 p.m.

By: Lori Korte

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville softball team fell 10-3 to Notre Dame in its ACC opener Friday afternoon at Ulmer Stadium. The Cardinals (20-6, 0-1 ACC) and the Irish (17-8, 2-1) will play game two of the series Saturday at 1 p.m.

Sophomore Caitlin Ferguson went 2-for-3 and drove in all three of the Cardinals' runs to lead Louisville at the plate. Freshman Danielle Watson (12-4) took the loss, allowing two earned runs on three hits and striking out two in 2.1 innings.

The teams played through two scoreless innings before Notre Dame capitalized on six hits to score six runs in the third. Ali Wester got the frame started with a leadoff double and scored on Abby Sweet's base hit. Cait Brooks singled and Melissa Rochford was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Katie Marino's RBI single, MK Bonamy's two-run double brought the score to 5-0. Bonamy would eventually cross the plate on a double steal to give the Irish a 6-0 lead.

Notre Dame tacked on two more runs in the fourth inning courtesy of Brooks' two-run homer which also plated Morgan Reed who had been hit by a pitch.

The Cardinals countered with three runs in the home half of the fourth when senior Jamie Soles and sophomore Celene Funke delivered hits and junior Sidney Melton reached on a fielder's choice to set up Ferguson's bases-clearing double to cut the lead to 8-3.

The Irish used sacrifice flies from Sweet in the fifth inning and Marino in the sixth to tally two more runs and bring the final score to 10-3.

Alexis Holloway (12-4) picked up the complete game win after surrendering three earned runs on seven hits and striking out two. Three different Notre Dame players collected two hits apiece with Brooks leading the way with a 2-for-2, two runs and two RBI showing at the plate.

"We put together a game plan for today, but we simply did not execute it well at all," said UofL head coach Sandy Pearsall. "Credit to Notre Dame for taking advantage of our mistakes."

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Monday, June 09

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Monday, June 02

Next Event

NOTRE DAME

L, 1-3

Mar 17 (Sat)

1:00 PM

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Full Schedule

Team Stats

Pitching:

W: Alexis Holloway (12-4)

L: Watson, Danielle (12-4)

Notre Dame

Batting:

2B: Ali Wester 1 ; MK Bonamy 1 ; Madison Heide 1

HR: Cait Brooks 1

RBI: Abby Sweet 2 ; Cait Brooks 2 ; Katie Marino 2 ; MK Bonamy 2 ; Madison Heide 1

SH: Melissa Rochford 1

SF: Abby Sweet 1 ; Katie Marino 1

Base Running:

RUNS: Ali Wester 1 ; Abby Sweet 1 ; Morgan Reed 2 ; Cait Brooks 1 ; Ellie Richards 1 ; Melissa Rochford 1 ; Katie Marino 1 ; MK Bonamy 1 ; Madison Heide 1