March 14, 2010
LAKEWOOD, Calif. – Separated by over 100 miles in Indiana, Notre Dame and Purdue faced off under the California sun at Mayfair Park to wrap up the Long Beach Invite Sunday morning. Jody Valdivia (12-2) picked up her 11th straight win, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning en route to the 3-0 non-conference softball victory. She finished with the shutout win after striking out nine Boilermakers in the complete-game effort.
Seven of Valdivia’s strikeouts came in the first three innings as only four Purdue (8-11) players reached base.
Notre Dame (16-5) finished its Spring Break swing on the West Coast with an 8-1 record.
Heather Johnson went 3-for-3 with three RBI and one run, including her sixth home run of the season. Katie Fleury had two hits and scored one run.
Suzie Rzegocki (5-8) gave up three earned runs and eight hits in 6.0 innings while shouldering the loss.
Pitzenberger continued her hot streak from the leadoff spot, doubling to center to start the first. Singles by Fleury and Johnson brought her home to put Notre Dame ahead, 1-0.
After a Fleury single in the fifth, Johnson belted a home run to left-center to score two more.
Jenna Alexander singled for Purdue in the seventh.
Notre Dame heads to Western Michigan on Thursday (March 18) for one game beginning at 5 p.m. (ET).
–ND–