April 29, 2001
The University of Notre Dame softball team posted two more impressive victories on Sunday, sweeping visiting Providence College (22-26, 4-14) 11-0 and 5-0 for its 15th and 16th BIG EAST Conference win of the season. The Irish are now 47-3 on the season, ranked ninth in the nation, and own the country’s best winning streak with 29 consecutive victories.
The Notre Dame pitching staff continued to put up great numbers in today’s doubleheader. While neither Jen Sharron (Agoura Hills, Calif.) or Kristin Schmidt (Houston, Texas) possessed their usual over-powering stuff, the Irish starting duo kept the Friars off the scoreboard in both games for Notre Dame’s 25th and 26th shutouts of the season. The Irish have now given up just two unearned runs over the last nine games.
It was also senior appreciation day for the Notre Dame softball team, as Sunday’s games were the last BIG EAST home dates for seniors Melanie Alkire (Union City, Calif.), Sarah Kirkman (Kokomo, Ind.) Danielle Klayman (San Diego, Calif.), Lizzy Lemire (Irvine, Calif.) and Jen Sharron (Agoura Hills, Calif.). Every senior played a hand in the two victories on Sunday. Alkire went three-for-three with two RBI in the first game, Lemire was three-for-six with an RBI in both games, Klayman was two-for-three in the first game, Kirkman scored a run in the first contest and Sharron picked up her 24th victory of the season, giving up just three hits and striking out eight in five innings in the first game.
It would end up being the Irish offense, though, that set the tone for the doubleheader in the first game. Jenny Kriech (Indianapolis, Ind.) started the bottom of the first with a walk and moved to second on a Klayman groundout. Alkire then laced a single deep into the hole at shorstop to put runners at first and second. Myers followed with a laser beam single to leftfield and Kriech sprinted home to score the first run of the game in a close play at the plate. Alkire advanced to third and Myers to second on the play as Kriech was forced to practically jump over Friar catcher Kerri Jacklets (who would end up dropping the ball) to be called safe at home.
Lemire then bounced a single to third base and Alkire tried to score but was thrown out at the plate. With runners at first and third, the Irish executed a perfect double steal as Lemire was safe at second and Myers beat the throw home for the second run of the game.
After Andrea Loman (Riverside, Calif.) walked, Andria Bledsoe (Higley, Ariz.) lifted a high fly ball that Providence leftfielder Sarah Morin dropped. By the time the ball was recovered, Lemire and Loman had both scored to give the Irish a 4-0 lead.
Sharron would end up having to work herself out of a jam in the fourth inning. Jacklets led off with a single and Marisa Hernandez came in to pinch run. Nicole Nelson slapped a pitch back to Sharron, who threw too high to Alexis Madrid (Temecula, Calif.) covering second base. The Irish lefthander came back to strikeout Cori Van Dusen and get Amber Carr to ground into a fielder’s choice, allowing Alkire to throw to third to pick off the lead runner. Sarah Morin ended up drawing a two-out walk, loading the bases for Lynnette Rosa. Sharron was able to strike Rosa out to end the inning and the Friar scoring threat.
Once again, it was time for the Irish offense to come alive. Sharron led off the bottom of the fourth with a triple to right-centerfield that came just a foot short of going out of the park. After Madrid struck out swinging, Kriech singled and Kirkman (who reentered as the designated player to run for Sharron) scored followed by a Klayman single.
Kriech moved to third on the hit, drawing a throw that allowed Klayman to advance to second base. Alkire came through once again with an RBI single, plating Kriech and Klayman for the sixth and seventh runs of the game.
Myers kept the hit streak alive with a short triple down the rightfield line, just beating the throw at the bag. After a Lemire strikeout, Lisa Mattison (Granger, Ind.) hit her first career triple to knock in Myers and the Irish were up 9-0.
Kas Hoag (Wallingford, Conn.) singled up the middle to score Mattison for the final Irish run of the inning and the game.
Notre Dame’s first two runs in the second game came after Myers led off the second inning with a double, followed by a Lemire infield hit. After Loman struck out, Bledsoe broke out of a mini-hitting slump with a sharp double into centerfield, scoring both Lemire and Myers for a 2-0 Irish lead.
A two-out Irish rally followed in the third inning. Alkire drew a walk and scored on a Myers double down the leftfield line. Lemire then showed she knows how to follow her cleanup hitter’s example, lining her own double down the leftfield line to score Myers and the fourth Notre Dame run of the ballgame.
Starting pitcher Schmidt had another impressive outing, striking out 12 in six innings of work. The Irish pitcher struck out at least two batters in every inning but the fifth and scattered six hits. She also proved that she can work out of a jam as well. After giving up a lead off hit, followed by a bunt-hit, Providence moved the runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Schmidt escaped the inning by posting a strikeout and a groundout to keep her BIG EAST scoreless inning streak alive. The rookie has not given up a run in eight conference games this season.
Notre Dame has added a makeup doubleheader this week. The two games against Bowling Green, previously canceled due to threatening weather, are now rescheduled for Wednesday, May 2, at 3:30 p.m.. It will be the final two home games of the season for the team.