Feb. 16, 2013
Notre Dame vs. San Diego State 
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The University of Notre Dame softball team closed Saturday with a split record at the Campbell/Cartier Classic, falling to San Diego State 4-0 in its second game of the day at the San Diego State Softball Stadium.
The Irish threatened in the top of the second inning, kick started by Megan Sorlie laying down a bunt against Aztec starter Rebecca Arbino (5-2) with one out. Cassidy Whidden reached on a fielder’s choice, moving Sorlie into scoring position at second. Arbino forced Chloe Saganowich to foul out to third baseman Kaitlin Connors before striking out Carly Piccinich for the frame’s final out.
Sorlie led the Notre Dame offense with a 2-for-3 outing at the plate, while Emilee Koerner added a double for the Irish.
The Aztecs (5-4) got off to a fast start in the bottom of the third inning, as Kayla Jordan and Katie Mathis picked up one-out singles before stealing second base. With runners at second and third, Kamerin May got enough on a 1-2 offering to send it to left field, and the sacrifice fly plated Jordan to give San Diego State a 1-0 advantage. Notre Dame starter Brittany O’Donnell induced a Lorena Bauer fly out to Koerner in left to strand Mathis at third base.
Patrice Jackson sent a 1-1 pitch from O’Donnell (3-1) over the bleachers in left field to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning, upping the San Diego State lead to 2-0. After a Kristin May single, pinch runner Stefanie Polonia stole second base, advancing to third on a Notre Dame (4-4) throwing error. Irish reliever Allison Rhodes struck out Downey swinging, forced Dinner to ground out to third base and struck out Jordan to hold the Aztecs to the single run.
O’Donnell allowed two earned runs in three full innings of work, walking none and striking out two San Diego State batters.
Saganowich chipped a one-out single through the left side, Piccinich reached on a fielder’s choice and Kelsey Thornton worked a full-count walk against Arbino to give the Irish offense momentum in the top of the fifth inning. The Aztec starter responded by retiring Stuhr on three straight pitches to end the frame.
Mathis laced a double to the gap in left center in the fifth, advancing to third on a Rhodes wild pitch. Kamerin May plated the run with a hard grounder to Saganowich at shortstop, and the fielder’s choice extended the Aztec cushion to three runs (3-0). Rhodes jammed Jackson with a 3-2 pitch that the San Diego State hitter popped up to second base for the inning’s second out. Kristin May snuck a grounder up the middle of the Irish defense to score pinch runner Victoria Kobold and up the lead to 4-0.
Rhodes surrendered a lone walk in the bottom of the sixth inning, getting out of the half inning following a Mathis foul out to third base.
Notre Dame wraps up play Sunday at 9 a.m. (PT) against No. 1 Oklahoma on the final day of the Campbell/Cartier Classic at the San Diego State Softball Stadium.
–ND–