Heather Johnson had a six RBI doubleheader against Western Michigan

Laing And Johnson Lead Notre Dame Softball To Sweep Of Western Michigan

April 17, 2007

Box Score

NOTRE DAME, Ind.- Junior Katie Laing (Chandler, Ariz./Corona del Sol) and freshman Heather Johnson (Los Alamitos, Calif./Mater Dei) put on an offensive show, as Notre Dame’s softball team (22-14, 9-1 BIG EAST) swept both games from visiting Western Michigan (13-16) by the scores of 9-0 and 5-1 on Tuesday, April 17 at Ivy Field. Laing had four runs-batted-in, while Johnson put up a six RBI day for the Irish.

The junior shortstop, Laing, had a fantastic all-around day for Notre Dame with four hits, four runs scored, a home run, a double and four RBI. Johnson was just as steady going 4-for-6 with a home run, a double, two runs scored and six driven in. Senior Stephanie Brown (Chandler, Ariz./Corona del Sol) was 3-for-5 with three runs scored and a walk. Sophomore Linda Kohan (Westminster, Calif./Westminster) went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Sophomore Beth Northway (Kentwood, Mich./Kentwood) also had two hits and two runs-batted-in.

Sophomore Brittney Bargar (Corona, Calif./Corona) (14-7) started both games of the double dip and combined to throw seven scoreless innings with two hits allowed, no walks and six strikeouts. Senior Kenya Fuemmeler (Salisbury, Mo./Salisbury) (8-7) came on in relief in both games and threw five combined innings with a run allowed and five strikeouts.

Game One Recap:

The Irish pounded the Broncos with five runs in the first inning of the first game. Brown started the game with a single through the left side. She moved to second on the sacrifice bunt from senior Gessica Hufnagle (Middlebury, Ind./Northridge). A Laing single to right drove in Brown from second with the first run. Laing, who had taken second on the attempt play at the plate with Brown, came in to score the second run on Johnson’s double. Freshman Christine Lux (Glendale, Ill./Glenbard West) drew a walk and moved to third, as Johnson scored on Kohan’s double. Both Lux and Kohan would come around to score, as Northway got into the action with the third Irish double of the frame.

The Irish offense pushed three more run across the plate in the second. Brown began the inning with a bunt single and moved to second on Hufnagle’s single through the left side. A Laing single up the middle scored Brown and moved Hufnagle to third. Johnson punched a single to right to score Hufnagle and move Laing up a base. After a double play moved Laing to third, she came in to score on Kohan’s single through the right side.

The Irish made a pitching change in the third, as Fuemmeler would throw the final three innings of the run-shortened game with only a hit allowed to pick up the win.

Notre Dame would add one more tally to its score in the bottom of the fourth on Laing’s home run to left field.

Game Two Recap:

The second game was scoreless for the first two innings, until the Irish broke through for a pair of runs in their half of the third. Brown started the frame with a walk. She moved to second on Hufnagle’s sacrifice bunt and came in to score the first run on Laing’s double to left-center field. Laing then took third on a wild pitch and scored on Johnson’s single through the right side.

The Notre Dame offense kept the wheel moving with a three-spot in the fifth inning. Junior Brittany Glynn (Seymour, Conn./St. Joseph’s) blooped a leadoff single into short right field. Brown grounded out to move her up a base. Hufnagle then walk to put runners on first and second. After a fly out, Johnson delivered the resounding blow of the inning with her second home run of the season to give the Irish a 5-0 advantage.

After a pitching change in the sixth, the Broncos plated a run on Kristi Strange’s single down the left field line to score Corey Andrzejewski.

Next, Notre Dame will continue the busy homestand with a game against Ball State (15-25) at 5 p.m. on April 18.

Irish Notes: Laing tied her career best with three RBI in the first game against the Broncos … Johnson also tied her career-high with four RBI in the second game against Western Michigan … Senior Carissa Jaquish (Highland, Calif./Redlands East Valley) made her first start as the designated player in the second game and went 1-for-3 … Glynn made her second and third starts of the season in right field against the Broncos … the Irish are now 12-1 at Ivy Field this season … Johnson has drive in 17 runs in home games this year … Notre Dame as a team is hitting .368 at home.