Laura Winter and Amy Buntin

Irish Blank Eastern Michigan To Close Regular-Season Home Slate

May 2, 2012

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NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame closed the home portion of the 2012 slate with a 10-0 win in five innings over Eastern Michigan Wednesday evening at Melissa Cook Stadium. Dani Miller drove home four runs and Alexa Maldonado scored three times as Laura Winter picked up her ninth win in as many decisions.

Winners of 12 straight, Notre Dame (33-13) wraps up the regular season with a trio of BIG EAST Conference softball contests this weekend at Pittsburgh (May 5-6).

Eastern Michigan (21-32) committed more errors (6) than hits (4) on the day while the Irish had eight base knocks in the contest.

The Irish put up three runs in the first frame, two in the second and five in the third to help post their 17th win in 19 home contests.

Winter (23-8) fanned seven and scattered four hits, using only 67 pitches in 4.0 innings of work. Brittany O’Donnell tossed the fifth frame and struck out one Eastern Michigan batter.

Eagles starter Jenna Ignowski (11-10) walked six and gave up seven earned runs. Ignowski found herself in a hole as the Irish loaded the bases in the first. Miller flew a sacrifice fly to center and Kasey O’Connor rifled a two-RBI single through the left side of the infield to put the Irish ahead, 3-0.

Eastern Michigan committed two errors in the second which led to two more Irish runs. The first came on an Amy Buntin infield grounder and the next came on Miller’s single to left.

Katey Haus was hit by a pitch to start the third and two batters later Jenna Simon’s bunt single scored pinch-runner Monica Torres from third.

Maldonado singled home a run with a shot to center and Miller doubled in two more runs with a shot down the leftfield line.

In 19 home contests, Simon boasted a team-high .415 batting average as Buntin led all players with 24 RBI. Miller sported a .692 slugging pct. with six home runs and four doubles.

Winter went 13-1 at Melissa Cook Stadium with a 1.47 ERA, striking out 87 batters in 90.2 innings.

–ND–