March 18, 2010
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Notre Dame scored seven runs in the fourth inning of Thursday’s non-conference softball matchup against Western Michigan to cruise to a 13-4 victory at Fran Ebert Field. The Irish (17-5) won their fourth straight and recorded 17 hits in the six-inning affair, including a grand slam by Christine Lux. Lux had a game-high five RBI and Kristina Wright led all players with a 4-for-4 day at the dish, also adding two runs and three RBI.
Five Notre Dame players (Sadie Pitzenberger, Heather Johnson, Lux, Wright and Alexa Maldonado) had at least two hits. Katie Fleury had two RBI on one hit and was one of four players to score twice.
Western Michigan (5-8) trailed 11-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth but prevented the shutout loss with one run in the inning. The Broncos added three more in the fifth and received two RBI from both Gracie Barstad and Kayla Houston.
Jody Valdivia (13-2) struck out 11 and gave up one earned run on three hits in 5.2 innings. Western Michigan used three pitchers, none of which gave up fewer than two earned runs. Meredith Whitney (2-4) was tagged for seven earned runs and seven hits in 3.0 innings.
The Irish used four hits in the third to get on the board, highlighted by Lux’s grand slam, and Erin Marrone added a triple.
Nine hits in the fourth yielded seven more Irish runs. Wright and Maldonado each had two hits in the inning.
Western Michigan used three hits to score three runs in the fifth behind Bastad’s two-run homer.
Wright homered to center in the sixth, a two-run shot that scored Miller who started things with a double.
Notre Dame opens the home portion of its schedule next Tuesday (March 23) against Eastern Michigan. The doubleheader will begin at 4 p.m. (ET).
–ND–