Cavaliers Swept by Notre Dame

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Notre Dame (29-15, 12-6 ACC) rallied from a six-run deficit in the continuation of Friday night’s contest and rode the momentum to a sweep of Virginia (17-28, 5-16 ACC) on Saturday (April 20) at The Park.

Notre Dame earned a 14-10 win in nine innings to open the day and followed with 13-2 and 7-0 victories in six innings.
 
GAME 1: Notre Dame 14, Virginia 10 (9 Inn.)
What appeared to be ball four to force the winning run across the plate for the Cavaliers in the bottom of the seventh was not to be as Virginia fell 14-10 in nine innings in the continuation of Friday’s game.
 
The game was suspended with Virginia leading 6-4 in the bottom of the fourth due to weather on Friday night.
 
KEY INNING
A walk and two hit batters loaded the bases with one out for Notre Dame in the top of the ninth. Pinch-hitter Sarah Genz lifted a 1-2 offering to left for a grand slam, giving Notre Dame a 14-10 lead.

TOUCHING HOME
• Melissa Rochford doubled home a pair of runs for Notre Dame in the top of the first.
• Haley Busby (Phoenix, Ariz.) led off the bottom of the first with a solo homer and Erika Osherow (Darien, Conn.) followed with a two-run shot to give Virginia a 3-2 lead.
• Notre Dame tied the game in the third as a fly ball to right fell after Osherow slipped on the wet field.
• The Irish took the lead in the fourth with an unearned run plated by a bunt single.
• The Cavaliers retook the lead in the bottom of the fourth on Busby’s second home run of the day, a three-run shot to left center. Abigail Barber’s (Providence Forge, Va.) RBI-single made it 7-4 after play resumed on Saturday morning.
• Arizona Ritchie (Stafford, Va.) doubled to spark a three-run fifth as Virginia extended its lead to 10-4.
• Notre Dame pulled within 10-7 in the sixth on two singles and a pair of hit-by-pitches.
• Two singles in the top of the seventh plated one and Cait Brooks tied the game for the Irish with a two-run homer.
• Genz’s grand slam in the ninth provided the difference for Notre Dame.

ON THE LINES
• Busby finished 3-for-5 with two home runs and four RBI.
• Lacy Smith (Lancaster, Pa.) went 2-for-4 while Kate Covington (McLean, Va.) and Ritchie both had multi-hit games as well.
 
GAME 2: Notre Dame 13, Virginia 2 (6 Inn.)
Notre Dame scored five in the first and eight in the sixth to clinch the series with a 13-2 victory in game two.
 
KEY INNING
Back-to-back walks started trouble in the top of the first. An infield single and an error plated one run before Abby Sweet lifted a three-run homer to center field. A fifth run would cross the plate on a two-out infield single to give Notre Dame a 5-0 lead.
 
TOUCHING HOME
• Three hits and four walks led to five runs in the first for Notre Dame.
• Virginia answered in the bottom half with three consecutive doubles, capped by a two-run knock from Osherow to cut the deficit to 5-2.
• Notre Dame added eight runs on seven hits and three Cavalier errors in the sixth inning.
 
ON THE LINES
• Tabby Dabney (Mechanicsville, Va.) worked a career-high 5 2/3 innings in relief, allowing three earned runs.
• Smith went 2-for-3 with a double in the loss.
 
GAME 3: Notre Dame 7, Virginia 0 (6 Inn.)
Notre Dame scored four times in the top of the sixth to pull away for a 7-0 win to secure the sweep. The game was called in the middle of the seventh due to reaching the cut-off time to accommodate Notre Dame’s travel plans. The game officially reverted to the end of the sixth inning.
 
KEY INNING
A single from Alexis Holloway sparked the fifth for Notre Dame. A two-out single from Ali Wester put two aboard and Katie Marino doubled off the wall in right center to extend Notre Dame’s lead to 3-0.
 
TOUCHING HOME
• Emma Clark and Wester singled with two outs in the third to put Notre Dame up 1-0.
• Notre Dame tacked on two more in the fifth, again with two outs, on Katie Marino’s double.
• Three doubles followed by a triple from Marino helped Notre Dame score four runs in the sixth to make it 7-0.
 
ON THE LINES
• Busby finished the finale 1-for-2 at the plate.
• Tori Gilbert (Mechanicsville, Va.) and Covington each went 1-for-3 in the game.
• Ashlee Davis (Gilbert, Ariz.) had the fourth Virginia hit in a 1-for-2 performance.
• Aly Rayle (Herndon, Va.) was charged with the loss after working five innings.
 
UP NEXT
Virginia travels to No. 20 James Madison on Tuesday (April 23) for a doubleheader against the Dukes.