April 13, 2006
The University of Notre Dame softball team (26-12) kicked off its Easter weekend in fine fashion with a doubleheader sweep of new BIG EAST Conference member DePaul (19-14) at Ivy Field on Thursday afternoon. The Irish will enjoy a weekend off before facing #17 Northwestern on Tuesday, April 18, with the knowledge that they are now 9-1 in league play, while DePaul drops to 5-5. Notre Dame won game one 5-0, then followed with a 3-1 victory in game two.
The Irish victories were keyed by solid pitching from senior Heather Booth and freshman Brittney Bargar, followed up with solid offensive performances by senior Mallorie Lenn and junior Stephanie Brown. Lenn finished the doubleheader three for seven with three RBI and two runs scored. Brown shook off a shoulder injury suffered on Tuesday when an errant foul ball struck her in the dugout to post six hits in seven at bats and score two runs.
Booth started game one for the Irish and seemed in control throughout the contest. She allowed five hits, walked one and struck out six to pick up her 14th victory of the season. She was only challenged in the fourth inning when DePaul followed up a leadoff double with a single to put runners at first and third.
Booth buckled down to force a fly out, fielder’s choice ground ball and strikeout to end the inning.
Notre Dame waited until the fifth inning to figure out DePaul starting pitcher Stephanie Blagaich. Brown led off the frame with her third hit of the game, followed by a single by senior Sara Schoonaert. Lenn then stepped in and rocketed a double into right-centerfield to drive in the first two runs of the game.
Senior Meagan Ruthrauff kept the hit streak alive with a single up the middle to put runners on the corners. Both Lenn and Ruthrauff were replaced by pinch runners, sophomore Sarah Smith at third and sophomore Brittney Glynn at first base.
Glynn stole second base to get in scoring position for freshman Linda Kohan, who stepped up to rifle a double over the leftfielder’s head. Both runners scored easily on the play and the Irish suddenly had staked themselves to a 4-0 lead.
The team tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth on a lead off hit by Brown, two ground balls, then an RBI single from Ruthrauff.
Game two started out rough for Notre Dame rookie righthander Brittney Bargar. She hit the first batter of the inning, uncorked a wild pitch to send the runner to second, gave up a sacrifice hit, then another wild pitch scored the first run of the game.
The rough first inning was eventually forgotten, however, as Bargar settled down and moved through the DePaul lineup efficiently over the final six innings. She would allow just four hits the rest of the way, pitching carefully around two leadoff doubles in the second and fourth innings, but also striking out six and not allowing a single walk. She picked up her 12th victory of the season with the solid effort.
Once again, Notre Dame waiting until late in the game to post the winning runs. Schoonaert led off the fourth inning with a single, which was followed by a laser beam single to rightfield from Lenn. The ball found its way past the DePaul rightfielder for a two-base error that allowed Schoonaert to score all the way from first base and Lenn to advance to second.
After a strikeout, Kohan followed with a single to put runners at first and third. Sophomore Katie Laing then came through with an RBI single to put the Irish ahead to stay 2-1.
Leading off the bottom of the sixth inning, Lenn tacked on a key insurance run with a towering home run to left-centerfield, her fourth home run of the year and 24th RBI.
As stated earlier, the Irish will rest up this weekend and prepare for their single-game matchup with #17 Northwestern on Tuesday, April 18. The game will be broadcast live by CSTV and available on www.und.com to all Fighting Irish All-Access subscribers.