Feb. 22, 2009
Stanford: Box Score | Box Score 
Sacramento State: Box Score | Box Score
STANFORD, Calif. – Notre Dame used six singles to score seven seventh-inning runs during an 11-0 non-conference softball win over Sacramento State at Smith Family Stadium on Saturday. The second day of the Nike Invitational also saw Notre Dame drop a 5-2 decision to No. 5 Stanford.
With the split, Notre Dame (3-5) now prepares for Sunday’s matchup against Western Kentucky at 9:00 a.m. (PT) to wrap up the three-day invite.
Three runs in the bottom of the first put the host Cardinal (12-1) in control, aided largely by Rosey Neill’s two-run home run.
Stanford threatened again one inning later when Jody Valdivia (0-4) walked the bases loaded, but the Irish got out of the jam by inducing a fly ball to center field for the final out.
Alissa Haber added a two-run homer in the fourth to give Stanford a 5-0 lead. Answering in the fifth was Notre Dame after consecutive singles by Alexa Maldonado and Erin Marrone gave Linda Kohan the opportunity to drive home Maldonado with an infield single.
Sadie Pitzenberger singled up the middle in the first inning for Notre Dame and Maldonado cranked her second triple in as many days in the top of the seventh to keep the top of the Irish lineup alive. Maldonado would score on Katie Fleury’s sacrifice fly.
Valdivia was tagged with the loss after going 4.0 innings while giving up five hits and five earned runs, with the win going to Missy Penna (9-1) after she gave up just two runs and five hits.
–Game 2–
Marrone fired in a leadoff homer, the first of her career, to start the third inning against the Hornets (2-4). Following suit was Heather Johnson who singled home Pitzenberger four batters later. Marrone then stroked a double to start the fifth and Fleury answered with a double of her own to drive in a run.
The flood gates opened in the top of the seventh when Notre Dame logged six of its 16 hits in the contest to plate seven runs.
Johnson was a perfect 4-for-4 with four RBI. Dani Miller, Maldonado, Kohan and Marrone each recorded multi-hit efforts at the plate.
Brittney Bargar (3-1) limited Sacramento State to three hits and fanned five to record the shutout victory for the Irish.
–ND–