Feb. 23, 2001
The 14th-ranked University of Notre Dame softball team (6-0) won the first game of the 2001 Morning News Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., defeating Texas Tech (5-5) 4-0. Originally scheduled as a double-header to start the tournament, the Irish-Red Raiders matchup was delayed due to rain after completion of the third inning for just over seven hours.
All of Notre Dame’s runs were ended up being unearned and came in the top of the sixth inning. Jenny Kriech (Indianapolis, Ind.) led off the inning by drawing a walk and stole second. Melanie Alkire (Union City, Calif.) then bounced a routine grounder to Texas Tech shortstop Rebecca Eimen. Eimen then committed her first of two throwing errors in the inning, allowing Alkire to move to second and Kriech to score the first run of the game.
Jarrah Myers (Carbondale, Kan.) then posted and infield single, moving Nicole deFau (Southington, Conn.), who had been inserted as a pinch runner, to third base.
Next up for the Irish was Lizzy Lemire (Irvine, Calif.), who grounded to second and advanced on another errant throw from Eimen. Myers and deFau both scored on the play.
Danielle Klayman (San Diego, Calif.) eventually drove in Lemire with her second hit of the game.
Lefthander Jen Sharron (Agoura Hills, Calif.) gave the Irish another brilliant pitching performance in the game. The senior All-American struck out 10 batters and gave up just one hit – a solid single by Texas Tech’s Andrea Joachins in the bottom of the third. After returning to the pitching circle after the long rain delay, Sharron did not give up a hit and struck out five Red Raiders. She improves to 4-0 in four starts this season and currently boasts a 0.26 ERA with 36 strikeouts.
With a break in the weather allowing play to continue late on Friday night, the tournament format might remain unchanged. Notre Dame and Texas Tech will have to make up the second-game of the doubleheader sometime this weekend. Currently, the Irish are set to face the host team, the Arkansas Lady Razorbacks, in a doubleheader tomorrow at 4 p.m.