Feb. 17, 2007
AUBURN, Ala.- Notre Dame’s softball team (2-2) dropped a tough 4-2 decision to Tulsa (3-6) in the second game of the day at the Tiger Invitational. This was the second time in as many days that Notre Dame lost the game after a come-from-behind victory.
The Golden Hurricanes jumped on the Irish for a run in the third inning. Kelli McGlasson reached on a fielders choice and moved to second on a ground out. McGlasson came in to score from second on the RBI single by Lindsay Galloway.
Tulsa added three more runs to its lead in the third inning. A Vanessa Vice single and a walk to Brooke Smart put runners on first and second. Both runners moved up a base on a ground out and came in to score on Sara Dyer’s double. The Golden Hurricanes added their third run of the inning on the throwing error by the Notre Dame pitcher.
Notre Dame threatened in the fourth inning. Heather Johnson (Los Alamitos, Calif./Mater Dei) drilled a single. Erin Glasco (Johnson City, Ill./Johnston City) walked and Gessica Hufnagle (Middlebury, Ind./Northridge) was hit-by-a-pitch to load the bases. But the Notre Dame rallied ended in a strikeout by the Tulsa hurler Julie Fennel.
The Irish finally broke through for two runs in the fifth inning. The frame started with a double by junior Sarah Smith (Oklahoma City, Okla./Oklahoma City) to left field. Smith came in to score on the double from Stephanie Brown (Chandler, Ariz./Corona Del Sol). Brown scored the second run for the Irish on a sacrifice fly from junior Katie Laing (Chandler, Ariz./Corona Del Sol) to cut the deficit to two.
Notre Dame made it dramatic down to the last out in the seventh inning. Mola started the attempted rally by reaching on an error. Laing was hit-by-a-pitch to put two aboard. Linda Kohan (Westminster, Calif./Westminster) was also hit-by-a-pitch to load the bases. Glasco, the late inning hero the day before, came up and drove the ball deep to rightfield but the Tulsa right fielder was able to track it down giving the Hurricanes the win.
Senior Kenya Fuemmeler (Salisbury, Mo./Salisbury) (0-2) took the loss going 5 2/3 innings and giving up all four runs (three earned) with two strikeouts.
Johnson continued to hit, with two more hits against the Golden Hurricanes and she now has eight hits in the first four games of the tournament for the Irish.
Notre Dame continues its play in Tiger Invitational with a final game against Virginia Tech at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 18.
Irish Notes: Fuemmeler’s 5 2/3 innings pitched were a personal best in the circle … Sophomore Beth Northway (Kentwood, Mich./Kentwood) collected her first hit of the season … Sophomore Brittney Bargar (Corona, Calif./Corona) made her first relief appearance of the season against Tulsa, pitching the last out in the seventh inning.