Feb. 16, 2013
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The University of Notre Dame softball team overcame a two-run deficit in the bottom of the sixth inning, and a Lauren Stuhr two-run home run to opposite field in the frame powered the Irish to a 4-3 win over Cal Poly Saturday at the Campbell/Cartier Classic at the San Diego State Softball Stadium.
Pitcher Laura Winter broke through for her own cause in the bottom of the sixth, slashing a one-out double down the left field line to score Kelsey Thornton and bring the Irish (4-3) within one run at 2-1. Amy Buntin sent a fly ball out to Cal Poly’s Lauren Moreno in center field for the inning’s second out, and pinch runner Cassidy Whidden slid under the tag of catcher Mariah Cochiolo to square the game at 2-all. Cal Poly pitcher Nicole Innamorato (0-1) ran the count full against Stuhr with two away, and the Notre Dame outfielder answered with her first home run of the year, sending a blast over the right field fence to cap the four-run Irish inning.
The Mustangs (1-8) did not go away in the top of the seventh, scoring a run on a Jillian Andersen single (4-3). Winter forced Kim Westlund to ground out to Carly Piccinich at second base to end the game.
Winter (1-3) went the distance in the circle, allowing three earned runs and striking out nine Cal Poly hitters on 143 pitches.
Thornton led the Notre Dame offense with a 2-for-2 day, while Winter and Buntin each added an RBI in the victory.
Winter cruised through her third frame in the circle in the top half of the third inning, striking out Westlund looking to hang a zero on the scoreboard for the Mustangs.
Cal Poly broke through in the top of the fourth inning after Betsy Colburn rocked an 0-2 pitch to the gap in left center, scoring Celina Lafrades and giving the Mustangs a 1-0 lead. Winter got Moreno swinging on an off speed pitch with two away to get the Irish out of the stanza.
The Irish warmed up the bats in the bottom of the fourth, as Thornton and Katey Haus picked up back-to-back singles off Innamorato with one out. Reliever Jordan Yates forced Winter to foul out to third base, but Buntin worked a four-pitch walk to load the bases for Stuhr. Stuhr gave a 2-1 pitch a ride to center, but Moreno camped under the ball to force the third and final out.
Cochiolo drove a 1-1 pitch deep and out over the left field wall in the top of the sixth inning, pushing the Cal Poly lead to two runs (2-0).
Notre Dame returns to the field at 6 p.m. (PT) against San Diego State for its second game of the day at the Campbell/Cartier Classic.
–ND–