May 6, 2007
VILLANOVA, Pa.- Notre Dame’s softball team (29-21, 13-7 BIG EAST) finished the conference regular season with a sweep of Villanova (25-32-1, 5-17 BIG EAST) on Sunday, May 6 in Villanova.
Sophomore Brittney Bargar (Corona, Calif./Corona) (20-12) picked up the wins in both games. In the first game, she went the first five innings and only surrendered three hits with six strikeouts. She went the distance in the second game with two runs allowed and four strikeouts. For Bargar it was her 20th win of the season and 23rd complete game of the year.
The first game started slowly with neither team able to get a hit until senior Stephanie Brown’s (Chandler, Ariz./Corona del Sol) leadoff bunt single in the fourth. Fellow senior Gessica Hufnagle (Middlebury, Ind./Northridge) moved her over with a sacrifice bunt. Junior Katie Laing (Chandler, Ariz./Corona del Sol) then punched a ball through the right side to score Brown from second with the first run of the afternoon.
The Wildcats picked up their first hit of the afternoon as Danielle Maricle hit a leadoff bullet off Bargar’s glove in the bottom of the fourth. Maricle then stole second, but she would get no farther, as Bargar retired the next three in order.
Notre Dame added four runs to the lead in the fifth inning. Freshman Christine Lux (Glendale Heights, Ill./Glenbard West) ripped a one-out single to right-center in the fifth inning. She moved to second on a wild pitch and took third as sophomore Beth Northway (Kentwood, Mich./East Kentwood) walked. Northway stole second and her and Lux both came around to score on senior Carissa Jaquish’s (Highland, Calif./Redlands East Valley) two RBI single. Jaquish took second on the attempted play at the plate and moved to third on junior Sarah Smith’s (Oklahoma City, Okla./Heritage Hall) infield single. After a Smith stolen base and a ground out, Hufnagle delivered a two-out single through the right side to score both Jaquish and Smith.
Bargar kept rolling and at one point had retired 11 in a row, until Jessica Curtis and Maggie Seidel had back-to-back singles in the fifth. The sophomore was up to the challenge and retired the final two batters on two groundouts to escape the inning.
The Irish made a pitching change to senior Kenya Fuemmeler (Salisbury, Mo./Salisbury) in the sixth inning and she was greeted with a triple by Maricle to start the frame. Sheri Donley then walked to put runners on the corners. After a ground out, Jess O’Boyle struck out but reached first on a wild pitch on the third strike to load the bases. Eryn Teague then ripped a single off Jaquish’s glove at third to score both Maricle and Donley with the first two Wildcat runs of the game.
Fuemmeler settled down in the seventh and struck out two in the seventh, as Notre Dame held on for a 5-2 win in the first game.
The second game started promising for the Irish with Brown and Laing walking. Johnson then hit a looping single to short left field to load the bases, but a foul out and strikeout ended the Notre Dame inning prematurely.
The Irish again put the leadoff runner on base in the second, as Northway was hit by a pitch to start the frame. But Kat Walsh stiffened and retired the final two Notre Dame batters after a sacrifice bunt.
The Wildcats took the lead in the second on the solo home run by Teague. For Teague it was her sixth home run of the season.
Notre Dame put two runners on base in the third inning with two outs, but an Irish strikeout ended another scoreless inning.
Northway led off the Irish fourth with a single to right field. A Jaquish sacrifice moved her to second. After a pop out, Brown was intentionally walked and Hufnagle also walked to load the bases. Laing followed with a walk of her own to drive in Northway and tie the game at one all.
The Irish fifth started well with a Kohan leadoff walk. Northway was then hit by a pitch, for the second time in the game, to put two runners on first and second. After a foul out, Bargar helped her own cause with a two-out double to score both Kohan and Northway and give the Irish a 3-1 lead. After another intentional walk to Brown, Hufnagle made the Wildcats pay with single to center to score Smith, who had been reinserted into the game for Bargar, with the third run of the inning.
The Wildcats brought the tying run to the plate in the sixth inning, as pinch hitter Seidel walked before Jessica Curtis reached first on a fielder choice in which Seidel was also safe. Kayla Felty was then reinserted back into the game for Seidel, as both runners moved up a base on another fielder’s choice. Maricle followed with an infield single to score Felty. Bargar then got herself out of the jam with a groundball double play to get out of the inning with only a run scoring.
The Irish withstood a potential rally in the seventh inning to defeat Villanova 4-2 in the second game.
Notre Dame will now return home and host the BIG EAST Tournament at the Belleville Softball Complex in South Bend, Ind. The official seeding and times will be announced by the BIG EAST Conference on Sunday evening, May 6.
Irish Notes: The Irish are now on a three-game winning streak … with her run in the first game Brown tied Andrea Loman’s all-time runs mark (164) … Bargar’s sixth strikeout in the first game was her 200th of the season …