Notre Dame softball rallies past DePaul in regular-season finale

By: Talia Baia

Posted: Apr 29, 2026 4:48 PM EDT

NOW: Notre Dame softball rallies past DePaul in regular-season finale

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame softball closed its regular season with one of its most dramatic wins of the year, rallying from seven runs down to beat DePaul 9-8 on Wednesday night at Melissa Cook Stadium.

The comeback gave the Irish another late season boost after a year that has been anything but easy. Notre Dame opened the 2026 season with promise, winning four of its first five games. But the middle of the schedule tested the Irish, especially in ACC play. Notre Dame dropped series to Georgia Tech, Clemson, Florida State and Louisville while searching for consistency.

However, that changed over the final stretch. The Irish closed ACC play with their first sweep of the season, taking all three games from Boston College at home. With Wednesday’s win over DePaul, Notre Dame has now won six straight games and six of its last seven heading into the postseason.

DePaul built an 8-1 lead through five innings, putting Notre Dame in a deep hole. But the Irish responded in the sixth, using a six-run inning to climb back into the game. Lily Hagan started the rally with a solo home run, giving Notre Dame the spark it needed.

Then, in the seventh inning, the Irish finished the comeback. Trailing by one, Olivia Levitt delivered the biggest swing of the night, sending a walk-off single to left field that brought home two runs and sealed the 9-8 win.

Fans at Melissa Cook Stadium said the comeback reflected the fight this team has shown all season.

“This is one team that will not give up,” one fan said. “There’s been a few bad games in the season we won’t talk about, but most of the time, they get down like tonight and they battle back. They do not give up. They keep fighting, fighting and fighting.”

Notre Dame now turns its attention to the ACC Tournament, entering 25-27 overall and 11-13 in conference play. But after six straight wins and a regular-season finale built on a seven-run comeback, Notre Dame will definitely be heading into the postseason with momentum.