March 6, 1999
TUSCON, Ariz.– Texas Tech (13-12) used a five-run fourth inning to give the Notre Dame softball team its second straight loss, 8-3. The Irish drop to 7-4 overall and 0-2 after day one of the Hillenbrand Invitational hosted by the University of Arizona.
The Irish had jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning on a two RBI single by senior catcher Kris McCleary (Westerville, Ohio). The Lady Raiders responded, however, by erupting for five runs in the top of the fourth inning off Irish pitcher Jennifer Sharron (Agoura Hills, Calif.). Texas Tech’s Stephanie Walls scored the fourth and winning run on an RBI double to left field by Kim Martinez. The Reed Raiders then added one more run in the fourth before Sharron got Lady Raider Paula Workman to ground out to shortstop to end the inning.
Notre Dame got one of the five runs back on freshman Jarrah Myers’ (Carbondale, Kan.) third home run of the season in the bottom of the fourth to make the score 5-3. Texas Tech then tallied three runs in the top of the fifth to put the game away, 8-3.
The Irish will play second-ranked Arizona, Saturday, March 6, at 2 p.m., followed by another 6 p.m. game with Kansas. Earlier Friday, the Irish lost to LSU, 10-2.