March 14, 2000
LOS ANGELES – The Notre Dame softball team recorded its 10th straight win by blanking Loyola Marymount (LMU) 4-0 Tuesday in a single game at the LMU Softball Field. With the win, the Irish moved to 14-4 on the season, the program’s best record ever through the first 18 games of the seasons. The Lions, meanwhile, dropped to 12-10.
The Irish struck first in the top of the third inning when junior Melanie Akire (Union City, Calif.) tagged her fourth home run of the season and her second in as many games over the left field fence. Pinch runner sophomore Rebecca Eimen (Mannford, Okla.), who reached base after designated player junior Jennifer Sharron (Agoura Hills, Calif.) singled through the left side, also scored on Alkire’s two-out home run to make the score 2-0.
The Irish then added another run in the top of the fourth, when junior Dani Klayman (San Diego, Calif.) singled up the middle with two outs to score BIG EAST Rookie of the Week Andria Bledsoe (Higley, Ariz.) from second base. An inning later, the Irish moved their led to 4-0 when Eimen laid down a bunt single, stole second and third and then scored on a RBI single by sophomore Jarrah Myers (Carbondale, Kan.).
LMU’s best chance to score came in the bottom of the seventh inning when pinch hitter Nicole Edelbrock doubled to left field and then shortstop Kim Bisset singled up the middle to put runners at the corners with no outs. Notre Dame pitcher Michelle Moschel (Naples, Fla.), who picked up her second complete-game shutout, then got Erin Hogan to fly out to left field and then Bisset was doubled up trying to tag and advance to second on the same play.
Notre Dame faces Cal State Northridge Wednesday in both teams’ opening game of the Kia Classic at Cal State Fullerton, beginning at 5 p.m. The Irish continue Kia Classic action with a Thursday game versus fourth- ranked Arizona State (11 a.m.) and a Friday game against Texas (9 a.m.).
R H ENotre Dame 0021100 4 9 0LMU 0000000 0 5 0
WP – Moschel (4-3) LP – Rogalsky (6-6)
Pitchers:
Notre Dame – Moschel and Myers
LMU – Rogalsky, Heliotes (5), Wood (7) and Dent
HR – Alkire, Notre Dame (4), one on
2B – Edelbrock
Updated records:
Notre Dame, 14-4
LMU, 12-10