May 20, 1999
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The fifth-seeded Notre Dame softball team lost its opening game of the NCAA Regionals, falling 2-0 to second-seeded Nebraska (32-19), Thursday at Alumni Field. The Irish (41-19) will face top-seeded Michigan, which was upset by sixth-seeded Florida Atlantic, at 11 a.m. EDT Friday as double-elimination play continues.
The Cornhuskers scored the winning run in the bottom of the first when Ginger Taylor, who was pinch running for Ellen Middleton, scored from first base with two outs on Notre Dame pitcher Jennifer Sharron’s throwing error. Nebraska then added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth on back-to-back doubles by Leigh Shur and Jaime Fuente.
Notre Dame had its best scoring opportunity of the game in the top of the third with the bases loaded and one out, following three infield singles. Nebraska pitcher Jenny Voss, however, struck out first baseman Amy Laboe and then got Melanie Alkire to ground out to her to end the inning. The Irish would get only those three hits the rest of the game as Voss retired the side in order over each of the next four innings. Sharron allowed just five hits, but fell to 19-9 with the loss, while Voss improved to 20-9.
The Irish, who are 3-7 all-time in NCAA play, will face a Wolverine team which lost 2-0 to Florida Atlantic in the last game of day one. Notre Dame and the Wolverines have faced each other twice in the in the NCAAs with Michigan winning both, including the regional final in 1995.