April 18, 2007
NOTRE DAME, Ind.- Sophomore Brittney Bargar (Corona, Calif./Corona) and senior Kenya Fuemmeler (Salisbury, Mo./Salisbury) made history in throwing the 33rd ever no-hitter for Notre Dame’s softball team (23-14, 9-1 BIG EAST) in a 3-0 win over Ball State (15-26) on Wednesday, April 18 at Ivy Field. The no-no was the first for the Irish since former hurler Heather Booth turned the trick on April 23, 2006 against Rutgers. This was also the seventh-ever combined no-hitter for Notre Dame.
Bargar (15-7) started and was spectacular going the first six innings with only a pair of walks blemishing her perfect afternoon. Fuemmeler came on in relief in the seventh and put the side down in order with one strikeout to record her second save of the season.
Senior Stephanie Brown (Chandler, Ariz./Corona del Sol) had a 2-for-3 afternoon with two runs scored. Junior Katie Laing (Chandler, Ariz./Corona del Sol), freshman Heather Johnson (Los Alamitos, Calif./Mater Dei), junior Brittany Glynn (Seymour, Conn./St. Joseph’s) and Bargar picked up the other Irish hits. Freshman Christine Lux (Glendale Heights, Ill./Glenbard West) recorded the lone RBI for Notre Dame on the afternoon.
The Irish took control of the game. Brown ripped a single to leadoff single to left, moved to second on senior Gessica Hufnagle’s (Middlebury, Ind./Northridge) sacrifice bunt, took third on Laing’s fly out and scampered home on throwing error from the Ball State right fielder, Allie Pennock, on the attempted play at third.
Notre Dame threatened in the second, as sophomore Beth Northway (Kentwood, Mich./East Kentwood) reached on a two-out fielding error by the Ball State third baseman, Taylor Yancey, but after stealing second she would get no farther.
Two more Notre Dame runs were plated in the third inning. Glynn leadoff the frame with a single through the right side. She moved to second on Brown’s bunt single to the shortstop. Hufnagle then laid down a sacrifice bunt that was thrown away by Yancey scoring Glynn and moving Brown to third. Lux, after a fly out and a walk, would drive in Brown with a RBI fielder’s choice.
Bargar continued to cruise, as she didn’t allow a base runner until Ball State’s Amber Pick walked with two outs in the fifth inning.
The fifth inning began well for the Irish offense, as back-to-back singles from Laing and Johnson put runners on first and second with no outs. A hit-and-run lineout double play quickly stopped the rising momentum, though.
The Cardinals would get their second walk of the game, this one by Kamilah Holle, to leadoff the sixth inning. Holle would trade places with pinch-hitter Katelyn Gunderson on a fielder’s choice. Alisha Entzler was then reinserted back in the game and stole both second and third before being stranded on third base on a ground out.
Fuemmeler would close the game out with a perfect inning of relief to combine with Bargar on the no-hitter.
Next, Notre Dame will continue the busy homestand with a make-up game against Valparaiso (19-10) at 5 p.m. on April 19.
Irish Notes: The no-hitter for Bargar was the second of her career and the first combined no-hitter … she also threw an eight-inning no-hitter against UConn on April 1, 2006 … the 15 wins ties Bargar’s career-high set last season … this was the second time Fuemmeler was involved with a no-hitter in her career … she also combined for a no-hitter with Booth against Western Michigan on March 26, 2006 … the Irish have now won three in a row … Glynn started her third consecutive game in right field … Notre Dame is now 13-1 at Ivy Field this season.