May 2, 2007
CHICAGO, Ill.- Sophomore Brittney Bargar (Corona, Calif./Corona) was masterful in throwing her second no-hitter of the season, as Notre Dame’s softball team (25-21, 9-7 BIG EAST) defeated Loyola-Chicago (18-17) 5-0 on Tuesday, May 1 in downtown Chicago. The Irish snapped their seven-game losing streak with the win and improved their record to 31-6 all-time against the Ramblers.
Bargar limited the Ramblers to no hits and was one-hit batter away from throwing a perfect game. The righty was efficient in striking out 10 and only faced one batter over the minimum. For Bargar it was not only her second no-hitter of the season, but also her first solo no-hitter of the year. Bargar also threw a combined no-hitter with senior Kenya Fuemmeler (Salisbury, Mo./Salisbury) against Ball State on April 18. Overall, this was the third no-hitter of Bargar’s career, as she also threw an eight inning no-hitter against Connecticut in April 2006.
The Irish offense got going early with two runs in the first inning. Senior Stephanie Brown (Chandler, Ariz./Corona del Sol) started the game with a bunt single and moved to second on senior Gessica Hufnagle’s (Middlebury, Ind./Northridge) sacrifice bunt. Katie Laing (Chandler, Ariz./Corona del Sol) then unloaded for her second home run of the season to plate a pair of runs for Notre Dame.
Bargar was rolling and carried her no-hitter with seven punch outs through the fifth inning. Notre Dame added an insurance run in the sixth inning, as freshman Ashley Ellis (Pikeville, Tenn./Bledsoe County) reached on a one-out single to short. She went to second on a sacrifice bunt from Christine Lux (Glendale Heights, Ill./Glenbard West). Sophomore Linda Kohan (Westminster, Calif./Westminster) would drive in Ellis from second with a double down the left-field line for an insurance run.
The Irish added two more runs to the lead in the seventh inning. Brown started the inning with an infield single. She then stole second. Laing then walked before Ellis was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Lux would drive in both Brown and Laing with her ground-ruled double to left field.
Only three outs from a no-hitter in the bottom half of the inning, Bargar made quick work of the Ramblers with two groundouts and a strikeout. For the game, in picking up her 17th victory of the season, Bargar only threw 73 pitches.
Brown went 3-for-4 with two runs scored in the win. Both Lux and Laing drove in two runs for Notre Dame in the victory.
Notre Dame next travels to the East Coast to take on conference rivals Rutgers (May 5) and Villanova (May 6) in doubleheaders over the weekend, before returning home to host the BIG EAST Conference Tournament from May 10-12 at Belleville Softball Complex.
Irish Notes: Brown extended her hitting streak to four games in the win … Brown’s three hits were her 17 multi-hit performance of the season … Laing is now tied with three other players for the Notre Dame home run lead with two each.