May 19, 2007
EVANSTON, Ill.- Sophomore Brittney Bargar (Corona, Calif./Corona) and senior Kenya Fuemmeler (Salisbury, Mo./Salisbury) combined on a shutout as Notre Dame’s softball team (32-23) won a 3-0 thriller over Wright State (25-35) in its second game of the NCAA Softball Tournament on Saturday, May 19 in Evanston, Ill. The Irish will now play their second elimination game of the day against Illinois State at 4 p.m. (CT) on May 19.
Bargar pitched well for Notre Dame going the first six innings with three hits allowed, one walk and nine strikeouts. Fuemmeler came in relief in the seventh inning to preserve the shutout and pick up her third save of the season with two strikeouts.
The Raiders threatened in the third inning. A walk and back-to-back two-out infield singles from Wright State loaded the bases but Bargar rose to the occasion and induced a groundout to escape the inning unscathed.
Senior Carissa Jaquish (Highland, Calif./Redlands East Valley) doubled off the right field wall to start the third inning. Allison Cox stood steady though and retired the next three in order to keep the game scoreless.
The Irish finally broke through with a run in the fourth inning. Junior Katie Laing (Chandler, Ariz./Corona del Sol) drill a leadoff single to left to start the inning. She went to second on a Heather Johnson (Los Alamitos, Calif./Mater Dei) sacrifice. Laing took third on a balk and came into score on a fielding error from the Wright State’s shortstop.
Jaquish start the Irish fifth with a double to the gap in right field. After a lineout, she moved to second on a fielding error from the WSU shortstop. Brown reach on the error and both her and Jaquish went to second and third on a wild pitch. Senior Gessica Hufnagle (Middlebury, Ind./Northridge) then flew out to right. Jaquish attempted to tag up the play and was thrown out at the plate on a strong throw from just inserted rightfielder Erica Schroeder. Jaquish was the second Irish runner thrown out at the plate in the NCAA Tournament.
Notre Dame after many great opportunities finally added insurance runs in the sixth inning. Laing and Johnson both reach on back-to-back bunt singles to start the frame. Sophomore Linda Kohan (Westminster, Calif./Westminster) then drilled a ball into the gap in right to plate both Laing and pinch runner Ashley Ellis (Pikeville, Tenn./Bledsoe County) and give Notre Dame a 3-0 advantage.
Fuemmeler came in to start the seventh. She record her third save of the season kept the shutout intact for the Irish.
Notre Dame returns to action to play against Illinois State (43-16-1) at 4 p.m.(CT) in their second elimination game of the day.