April 13, 2000
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The 18th-ranked Notre Dame softball team earned their first win in the last six tries over visiting DePaul in game one (5-1), only to fall in the second game (4-3) in a Thursday doubleheader at Ivy Field. With the split, the Irish moved to 32-10 on the season, while the Blue Demons finished the day with a 16-15 overall record.
In game one, Notre Dame pitcher Jennifer Sharron (Agoura Hills, Calif.) had a no-hitter through six and a half innings, before giving up three hits and a run in the top of the seventh inning. The Irish provided run support in both the fourth and fifth innings. In the fourth, freshman Andria Bledsoe (Higley, Ariz.) doubled with two outs and then came around to score the first run of the game on a RBI single by junior Lizzy Lemire (Irvine, Calif.).
Lemire came back to bat again in the fifth inning, capping a four-run Irish outburst with her first home run of the season, a solo shot to straight away center off Blue Demon pitcher Ashley Ivey, moving the score to 5-0. Lemire’s home run was actually the second of the inning for the Irish as freshman Andrea Loman (Riverside, Calif.) lifted her fifth home run of the season over the left field fence, scoring both junior Melanie Alkire (Union City, Calif.) and sophomore Jennifer Kriech (Indianapolis, Ind.).
Sharron earned her 17th win of the season, striking out 10 for the second straight game to move to 17-5 on the season. Ivey, meanwhile, dropped to 4-5 overall.
In game two, DePaul jumped out with the early lead, scoring a pair of runs off Irish starting pitcher Michelle Moschel (Naples, Fla.). The Blue Demons then tacked on another run in the top of the fifth inning when Dana Jakusz reached on a drop third strike, advanced to second and then scored on a RBI double down the left field line by pitcher Lindsay Chouinard.
The Irish finally struck back in the bottom of the fifth when Alkire blasted a three-run shot to left field, her seventh of the season, scoring three runs in all to tie the ball game at 3-3.
The Blue Demons regained the lead for good in the top of the seventh inning, when third baseman Katie Kukman came through with a RBI single to score pinch runner Tami Bouck from second base. The Irish then went down in order to end the team’s nine-game win streak with a 4-3 loss.
Alkire, who entered the game at the pitching position in the third inning, took the loss, to drop to 7-1 overall, while Chouinard picked up the win to move to 9-4.
Notre Dame will head out on the road Saturday for a doubleheader against BIG EAST Conference opponent Boston College. The Irish return to Ivy Field for another home doubleheader Sunday versus Loyola-Chicago at 2 p.m.