Notre Dame scored the winning run on a passed ball in the eighth inning
and Irish starter Heather Booth allowed only one earned while striking
out 11 to lift Notre Dame to a 5-4 eight inning victory on Saturday afternoon
at the NFCA Leadoff Classic.
Cal State Fullerton finished pool play 1-2 and 4-8 overall. The loss dropped
the Titans from the Gold to Bronze bracket, where they will meet Arizona
State at 1 p.m. (PST). Notre Dame improved to 7-4 overall and 2-1 in pool
five.
With a runner placed on second base, Megan Ciolli sacrificd her over and
scored when Candice Baker's (1-5) pitch deflected off Jennifer Holt's
glove for the winning run. Booth (4-1) then struck out two of the final
three batters, including Jenna Wheeler to end the game.
Baker allowed an unearned run on a hit in 3 1/3 innings and struck out
two, but took the loss. Brooke Weekley started, allowing four runs on
five hits, through 4 2/3 innings, but took the no decision.
The Titans struck first in the opening inning when Candice Baker's pop
up to the right side of the infield was dropped after the second baseman
and first baseman collided, allowing Julie Watson to scamper home for
the 1-0 lead.
The Fighting Irish brought out the bats in the third after Weekley had
set down the first eight batters she faced in order. Nicole Wicks collected
her first career hit as a member of the Irish after transferring from
Washington, smacking a line drive shot over the left field fence to tie
the game.
She was followed on the very next pitch by Stephanie Brown, whose towering
shot cleared the fence in left center to give Notre Dame the 2-1 advantage.
Baker gave the Titans the lead back in the third after Fullerton put runners
on second and third with no one out. Booth got Monica Tantlinger to strikeout
and Lindsey Bashor to pop up, but could not retire Baker, who put a 1-0
offering into left field, scoring both Julie Watson and Weekley for the
3-2 Titans lead.
Notre Dame continued the see-saw in the fifth, putting two on with no
out. Megan Ciolli tied the game with an RBI groundout, chasing Weekley
from the circle, and Meagan Ruthrauff gave the Irish the lead with an
RBI single off Baker, plating Brown for the 4-3 lead.
Jody Campbell tied the game in the fifth, plating Watson with her third
run scored on the day with a two-out RBI single back up the middle, knotting
the game at 4-4.
Fullerton had a chance to win in the seventh, putting the leadoff runner
on and advancing her to second, but Booth got both Bashor and Baker swinging
to send the game into extra innings.
