March 4, 2000
BRISTOL, Tenn. – Notre Dame sophomore Jarrah Myers scored the game’s only run in the top of the eighth inning to push the Irish past Virginia Tech 1-0 in softball action Saturday evening at the State Line Classic. With the win, Notre Dame (9-4) moved to 2-0 in tournament action, while Virginia Tech (6-3) fell to 1-1.
Notre Dame got a complete-game performance from sophomore pitcher Michelle Moschel (Naples, Fla.), who picked up her first shutout of the season with a career high 12 strikeouts to move to 3-3 in 2000. Hokie pitcher Ashlee Dobbe (4-2) allowed just three hits in the loss, while tallying 10 strikeouts in what turned out to be a pitcher’s duel through the first seven innings.
In the top of the eighth and with the international tiebreaker in effect (runner placed on second to start the inning), Myers scored the winning run on an RBI single to right field by freshman Andria Bledsoe (Higley, Ariz.). Virginia Tech had a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the inning with a runner on third and one out, but Moschel got Hokie catcher Jamie Love to foul out to third base and then struck out rightfielder Tiffany Hurt to end the extra-inning affair.
The Irish, as a result of their 2-0 tournament record, will automatically advance to the tournament final scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, after playing their final pool play game versus Kentucky at 10 a.m.