Five-Run Fifth Inning Lifts Louisville to 8-5 Victory over Notre Dame

Saturday, April 11

South Bend, Ind.

1:00 PM

University of Louisville

33-9, 9-4

University of Notre Dame

17-24, 6-11

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Louisville	2	0	0	0	5	1	0	8	10	1
Notre Dame	0	1	1	1	2	0	0	5	7	0

Madison Pickens celebrating a home run at Notre Dame.

Photo by: Kennedy Knisley | Louisville Athletics

Five-Run Fifth Inning Lifts Louisville to 8-5 Victory over Notre Dame

April 11, 2026 | Softball

Box Score

By: Erin Hughes

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Madison Pickens had four RBIs to lead the University of Louisville softball team to an 8-5 victory over Notre Dame on Saturday afternoon in South Bend and force a rubber match for game three.

Brooke Gray picked up her 10th win in the circle as Louisville moved to 33-9 (9-5 ACC) on the year. Gray tossed 4.0 innings, and Anna Wise and Jayden Gohs finished out the last three innings with just one hit allowed between the pair. Pickens' four RBIs came on a two-run double and her team-leading eighth home run of the year. Camryn Lookadoo added two RBIs of her own, with Bri Despines and Easton Lotus each grabbing one as well.

The Cards struck early as Chelsea Mack drew a walk and stole second to lead off the game. Despines and Lookadoo each took free passes to load the bases, and Pickens drove in the pair of Mack and Despines to give UofL a quick 2-0 lead. Gray allowed a leadoff single in the bottom of the inning but retired the next three batters to keep Louisville ahead.

The Irish tacked on three runs in the second, third and fourth innings to eventually take a 3-2 lead, but the Cards had an answer in the fifth. Mack again got on base and stole second to start the inning, and Lotus doubled down the right field line to bring her in. A single from Despines put Lotus on third before Despines swiped second to move into scoring position. Lookadoo knocked a double of her own into left-center field to plate both runners, and Pickens followed that up with a no-doubt home run to right field to put UofL ahead 7-3.

ND grabbed a homer and an RBI single of their own in the bottom of the inning, but Gohs shut down the rest of the frame. The top of the sixth saw Lotus get on with a two-out single, and Despines doubling her home on the next at bat. Gohs went six up, six down over the next two innings to finish out the win and secure her second save of the season.

Louisville and Notre Dame will face off in the rubber match on Sunday, April 12, at 1 p.m. ET at Melissa Cook Field. The game will be streamed on ACCNX.