Softball Game Preview: Notre Dame Tigers vs. Westmont Warriors

The Notre Dame Tigers will venture away from home to square off against the Westmont Warriors at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday. Notre Dame's pitching crew has only allowed 3.2 runs per game this season, so Westmont's hitters will have their work cut out for them.

Notre Dame took a loss when they played away from home last Thursday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. They came out on top against Mills by a score of 6-3. The Tigers haven't had any issues with the Vikings recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive win against them.

Allison Lui spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on four hits and racked up eight Ks.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Hailey Truong, who scored a run while going 3-for-3. Claire Kimball also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.

Meanwhile, Westmont wound up with the same score they had in their last game (5-3), but sadly the team found themselves on the wrong side of the score this time.

Westmont saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Maddie Tanaka, who scored a run while going 1-for-3. Maddie Crowley was another, scoring a run while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.

Notre Dame's victory was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 6-2. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.2 runs on average over those games. As for Westmont, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 5-6 record this season.

Notre Dame was able to grind out a solid victory over Westmont when the teams last played back in May of 2018, winning 6-3. The rematch might be a little tougher for Notre Dame since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.