March 14, 2009
FULLERTON, Calif. – No. 12 Arizona scored eight times courtesy of three home runs as the Notre Dame softball team fell to the Wildcats, 10-1, in a non-conference game Saturday at Anderson Field on the penultimate day of the Judi Garman Classic.
Stacie Chambers belted two home runs and drove in four scores as Arizona (26-6) totaled 11 hits. Jennifer Martinez (3-0) lasted through the entire five-inning game and gave up five hits and one earned.
Brittany Lastrapes’ lead-off single and a Kristen Arriola walk left two on for Chambers to hammer a three-run homer in the top of the first.
The basics of the game boded well for Notre Dame (8-9) in the home half of the first. Notre Dame’s first hit was a single by Sadie Pitzenberger, who moved to second on an Alexa Maldonado sacrifice bunt back to Martinez . Heather Johnson lined a two-out double directly to the center field fence to score Pitzenberger to make it a 3-1 contest in favor of the Wildcats.
Chambers added a solo home run down the right field line to give the Wildcats a 5-1 lead in the third.
Brittney Bargar checked in for Jody Valdivia (2-5) with one runner on base and one out in the third after Valdivia gave up five hits and five runs with four strikeouts. Bargar did not allow an earned run over the final 2.2 frames.
The floodgates opened in the top of the fourth and the Arizona runs continued to pour in – each of which came after an Irish fielding error – as the Wildcats put up five scores on four hits.
Notre Dame left three Wildcats on base in a scoreless fifth-inning for Arizona, the only frame in which the visitors went back into the dugout without a run.
Defending national champion Arizona State awaits Notre Dame on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. (PT).
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