April 18, 2009
Game 1: Box Score | Box Score 
Game 2: Box Score | Box Score
VILLANOVA, Pa. – The Notre Dame softball team picked up a pair of road wins at Villanova to improve to 6-0 against BIG EAST Conference foes on the road. After sweeping the doubleheader over the Wildcats (20-18 overall, 4-13 BIG EAST) the Irish (29-13, 11-30 now travel to Rutgers on Sunday (April 19) for a twinbill starting at 11:00 a.m. (ET).
The first game of the conference doubleheader Saturday at VU Softball Field saw Brittney Bargar record her seventh shutout of the season, 3-0, and Notre Dame won the second game in commanding fashion, 7-1.
Bargar (17-8) gave up four hits and struck out five while getting a trio of runs to support her in the winning effort.
Neither team recorded a hit until the third inning when Villanova’s Jackie Dempsey knocked an infield single. The Wildcats left two on base in their half of the frame while the Irish waited until the top of the fourth to make their move.
Notre Dame manufactured three runs in the fourth which ended up being the difference in the game. Beth Northway began the surge with a single to right-center and went to second when Linda Kohan’s bunt was misplayed by the Wildcat defense. Each runner earned two more bases on a Heather Johnson bunt that put Notre Dame on top, 1-0. A single up the middle by Dani Miller plated two more runs. The hit extended Miller’s hit streak to 17 games.
The two teams traded zeros for the remainder of the contest.
–Game 2–
Christine Lux had a first-inning single with Katie Fleury and Stephanie Mola adding singles in the second.
The fourth inning was kind to the Irish with a four-spot on the Wildcats. Miller continued her streak with a home run to left field to ignite the spark, and Erin Marrone and Alexia Clay were hit by pitches to help Alexa Maldonado knock in a pair of runs. Northway also booted home a run with a single.
Meghan Morese brought the Wildcats to within three (4-1) with a solo home run in the home half of the fourth.
Erin Marrone doubled home Lux in the seventh then scored on Clay’s two-run smoker to left as Notre Dame took a 7-1 lead.
Lux led the team with two hits while Clay and Maldonado each chipped in a pair of RBI.
Jody Valdivia (12-5) gave up a hit in the first but got out of the inning with a double play. She finished the 7.0 innings by giving up one earned run on three hits with seven strikeouts.
–ND–