Irish Drop Slugfest to Louisville

Notre Dame softball team falls to ACC rival in high-scoring affair

Apr. 11, 2026 at 8:05pm

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A fractured, multi-perspective painting in bold, overlapping geometric shapes and planes of navy blue, gold, and white, conceptually representing the intensity and action of a collegiate softball game.A cubist interpretation of the high-scoring softball matchup between Notre Dame and Louisville, capturing the dynamic energy of the game through fragmented geometric shapes.South Bend Today

The University of Notre Dame softball team (17-24, 6-11 ACC) dropped Saturday's slugfest to Louisville (33-9, 9-4 ACC) by a score of 8-5, on a sunny afternoon at Melissa Cook Stadium. Freshman Lily Hagan hit a home run and pitched three innings for the Irish, while sophomore Caitlyn Early launched her second home run of the season. Freshman Ava Zachary posted her 12th multi-hit game of the season, and junior Kami Kamzik made the start for Notre Dame, striking out four.

Why it matters

This was an important ACC matchup between two conference rivals, with Notre Dame looking to bounce back from their 17-24 record so far this season. The game was also part of the program's annual Strikeout Cancer weekend, adding significance to the event.

The details

Notre Dame freshman Lily Hagan hit a home run in the fourth inning, her fourth of the year, and also tossed three innings in the circle for the Irish. Sophomore Caitlyn Early hit her second home run of the season, a solo shot that bounced off the top of the center field fence. Freshman Ava Zachary recorded her 12th multi-hit game of the season, including an RBI double in the third inning. Junior Kami Kamzik made the start for Notre Dame, striking out four batters over four innings before running into trouble in the fifth.

  • The game was played on Saturday, April 11, 2026.
  • The game was part of the program's annual Strikeout Cancer weekend.

The players

Lily Hagan

A Notre Dame freshman who hit a home run and pitched three innings for the Irish.

Caitlyn Early

A Notre Dame sophomore who hit her second home run of the season.

Ava Zachary

A Notre Dame freshman who recorded her 12th multi-hit game of the season.

Kami Kamzik

A Notre Dame junior who made the start for the Irish, striking out four batters over four innings.

Louisville

Notre Dame's ACC rival, who defeated the Irish 8-5 in the slugfest.

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What’s next

Notre Dame will go for the series win tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. at Melissa Cook Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra and admission to all regular season Irish softball games is free.

The takeaway

Despite the loss, Notre Dame's young players like Hagan, Early, and Zachary continue to show promise for the future. The annual Strikeout Cancer game also highlighted the program's commitment to supporting important causes beyond just the field of play.