March 5, 2000
BRISTOL, Tenn. – The Notre Dame softball team went a perfect 4-0 at the State Line Classic, beating Virginia Tech 3-0 Sunday afternoon in the championship final. With the win, the Irish, who did not allow a run in the four tournament games, improved to 11-4 on the season and extended their current win streak to seven games.
The Irish scored the game-winning run in the first inning when sophomore Jennifer Kriech (Indianapolis, Ind.) singled to lead-off the inning and then came around to score on an RBI single through the left side by junior Melanie Alkire (Union City, Calif.). Pinch runner Rebecca Eimen (Mannford, Okla.) scored the team’s second run of the inning on a sacrifice fly by catcher Jarrah Myers (Carbondale, Kan.). Notre Dame’s final run of the game came in the fourth inning with two outs when junior Danielle Klayman (San Diego, Calif.) walked and then scored on a single by Kriech.
The Irish pitching tandem of starter Jennifer Sharron (6-1), who picked up the win, and reliever Michelle Moschel (Naples, Fla.), who earned her first save of the season, combined to allow just four hits and struck out nine with just one walk.
Moschel, who allowed just three hits in 11 innings with 14 strikeouts, was named the tournament MVP in a vote of the teams’ sports information directors. Moschel was joined on the all-tournament team by Alkire, Myers and freshman Andria Bledsoe (Higley, Ariz.), who hit a team-best .545 in the four games.
The Irish will travel to California for their spring break trip with a doubleheader Sunday, March 12, at San Diego State.
2000 State Line Classic All-Tournament Team
(As voted on by the sports information directors)
Kentucky (0-3) – Andrea Eilertson (3B)
Tennessee (1-2) – Holly Ellison (OF), Amanda Venerable (UT.)
Virginia Tech (2-2) – Bronwyn Blair (OF), Clarissa Crowell (P/OF), Ashlee Dobbe (P)
Notre Dame (4-0) – Melanie Alkire (P/SS), Andria Bledsoe (3B/SS), Jarrah Myers (C)
MVP – Michelle Moschel (P), Notre Dame