Irish Drop Series Opener at No. 19/20 Stanford

Notre Dame softball falls to nationally ranked Cardinal in series opener

Mar. 14, 2026 at 3:23am

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The University of Notre Dame softball team fell Friday night to No. 19/20 Stanford 2-7. Freshman Ava Zachary hit a two-run homer in the first inning, but the Cardinal responded with five runs in the fourth and an insurance run in the sixth to secure the victory.

Why it matters

This loss drops Notre Dame to 10-16 on the season and 0-4 in ACC play, making it an uphill battle for the Irish to turn their season around. Stanford, on the other hand, continues to assert itself as one of the top teams in the country.

The details

Notre Dame scored two runs in the first inning, with Zachary hitting a two-run homer and Mickey Winchell drawing a walk and scoring. However, Stanford responded with one run in the third and five in the fourth to take the lead. The Cardinal added an insurance run in the sixth to make the final score 7-2.

  • The game was played on Friday, March 14, 2026.
  • Game two of the series is scheduled for Saturday, March 15, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. ET/2:00 p.m. PT.

The players

Ava Zachary

A freshman on the Notre Dame softball team who hit a two-run homer in the first inning.

Mickey Winchell

A Notre Dame player who drew a walk and scored a run in the first inning.

Micaela Kastor

The Notre Dame pitcher who made her 12th start of the season and threw two scoreless innings to start the game.

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What’s next

Game two of the series is scheduled for Saturday, March 15, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. ET/2:00 p.m. PT.

The takeaway

This loss is a setback for the Notre Dame softball team as they try to turn their season around, but they will have a chance to even the series against the nationally ranked Cardinal in the next game.