April 11, 2015
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — A win in game one set the tone at the outset of Saturday’s Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) doubleheader for the University of Notre Dame softball team at Boston College. Facing a four-run deficit after the first inning of the nightcap, the Irish persevered, claimed the lead with a four-run top of the fifth inning and never looked back. Notre Dame battled to 5-2 and 8-5 victories to complete the conference sweep at Shea Field.
No. RV Notre Dame (31-11, 12-5 ACC) extended its current winning streak to 17 straight games, dating back to a 12-0 win in five innings at No. 9/10 Florida State on March 15. The Irish have won their last 12 ACC games, with the four-run deficit being the biggest margin overcome by Notre Dame during ACC play this season.
Freshman Morgan Reed was the Notre Dame leader at the plate during the twin bill, reaching safely in five of her seven plate appearances on the day. Reed connected on a three-run triple, an RBI double and scored two runs. Junior All-American Micaela Arizmendi added a triple and a three-run home run in game two, tying the contest with her home run in the top of the fifth inning.
Freshman Katie Beriont (2-1) threw six lockdown innings out of the Notre Dame bullpen in the second game, allowing one unearned run on three hits. The Irish southpaw walked three and struck out a career-high five batters on 90 pitches to earn the win.
Sophomore Rachel Nasland (16-6) went the distance in the opening victory, scattering six hits during the complete game effort. Nasland walked two and added nine strikeouts to win her 10th consecutive start.
Notre Dame and Boston College (16-17, 1-10 ACC) will square off in the series finale on Sunday at noon (ET) in the series finale at Shea Field.
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Game 1 — #RV Notre Dame 5, Boston College 2
Notre Dame struck quickly in the top of the first inning against Boston College starter Allyson Frei (12-12). Sophomore All-American and USA Softball Player of the Year Top 26 Finalist Karley Wester led off with a single to left field, and senior co-captain and two-time All-American Emilee Koerner reached on an Eagles error. After two Irish outs, senior Cassidy Whidden was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Freshman Morgan Reed then came through with a huge hit, lacing a triple through a gale force wind into the left field corner, clearing the bags to give Notre Dame a 3-0 lead.
Boston College answered with a two-out RBI of its own in the bottom of the first. Jordan Chimento dropped a base hit just in front of a diving Wester in left to score Annie Murphy and bring the Eagles within two at 3-1. Sophomore Rachel Nasland forced Chloe Sharabba to ground out to senior Katey Haus at third base to end the inning.
Senior co-captain Jenna Simon reached on a one-out fielding error after laying a slap to the circle in the top of the second, taking third base on a clean steal. Wester brought her in from third with a fielder’s choice back to Frei, as Simon dove under the tag of catcher Tatiana Cortez to push the Notre Dame advantage to 4-1.
Nasland returned to the circle strong in the bottom of the second frame. The Irish right-hander struck out Jessie Daulton, Chelsea Dimon and Taylor Coroneos swinging for all three outs.
The Irish padded their run total in the top of the third inning. Haus and Reed each worked 3-2 walks, and freshman Sara White grooved an RBI single up the center of the diamond to plate Haus from second and make it 5-1 Irish.
It was a 1-2-3 inning for Nasland in the bottom of the third. Megan Cooley fouled out to third and Madison Paulson and Murphy each struck out swinging to retire the Boston College side.
Cortez crushed a solo home run deep and gone to left field in the bottom of the fourth inning, touching them all to close the Boston College deficit to 5-2. Nasland answered with a swinging strikeout to close the inning,
Boston College placed runners at second and third with one out against Nasland in the bottom of the fifth, but a nice snag by Simon at second base doubled off Coroneos at third to get Notre Dame out of the jam.
Game 2 — #RV Notre Dame 8, Boston College 5
Jordan Chimento barely dropped a Texas Leaguer into center with the bases loaded in the bottom of the first inning, scoring Megan Cooley to give Boston College a 1-0 lead. A single from Jessie Daulton one batter later brought Taylor Coroneos across (2-0). Chloe Sharabba kept the hit parade rolling with a two-run single to right, giving the Eagles a seemingly commanding 4-0 advantage after one inning.
Notre Dame had three base runners reach in the top of the second against Jessica Dreswick, but the Irish could not push a run across.
Freshman Katie Beriont pitched a solid bottom of the second inning out of the Notre Dame bullpen. Cooley grounded out to second, Coroneos out to shortstop and Annie Murphy followed with a chop out to short.
Junior All-American Micaela Arizmendi led off the top of the fourth with a triple down the right field line, where a double to left center two batters later by freshman Morgan Reed got Notre Dame on the board at 4-1. An RBI single from freshman Sara White scored Reed all the way from second, trimming the Irish deficit to 4-2.
Boston College added an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth frame. Coroneos connected on an RBI single up the chute that put the Eagles in front 5-2. Beriont grounded Murphy out to Arizmendi for the inning’s final out.
Singles from senior co-captain and two-time All-American Emilee Koerner and senior Katey Haus got the Notre Dame attack started in the top of the fifth. Arizmendi guaranteed everyone was coming home with a three-run laser beam home run to right field, clearing the bases and tying the contest at 5-5. A Boston College throwing error on a White infield single allowed Reed to score all the way from first, vaulting the Irish in front 6-5.
After allowing a leadoff walk to Tatiana Cortez in the bottom of fifth, Beriont settled in against the Boston College order. Madison Paulson struck out swinging to strand the Eagle runner on the pond.
Notre Dame tacked on two insurance runs against reliever Allyson Frei (12-13) in the top of the sixth inning. RBI singles from Haus and Arizmendi scored senior co-captain Jenna Simon and Koerner to push the Irish in front 8-5.
Beriont rolled through another half in the bottom of the sixth. A Cooley ground out to the circle was the second groundout forced by the Irish southpaw during the frame, to go along with a strikeout of Jordan Weed.
Beriont escaped a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh, getting Paulson to chase a 0-2 pitch to strand all Boston College runners and complete the day one sweep.
–ND–