Feb. 26, 2007
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – Sophomore Linda Kohan (Westminster, Calf./Westminster) drove in the game-winner with her two-run single in the fifth inning, as Notre Dame’s (4-6) softball team defeated Ole Miss (4-11), 3-1, on the final day at the Palm Springs Tournament in Cathedral City, Calif. on Sunday, Feb. 25 at Des Moines Field at the Big League Dreams Complex.
Senior Stephanie Brown (Chandler, Ariz./Corona del Sol) pushed a single through the middle to start the Irish first. She took second and then third, as Kohan reached first and then second on the throwing error from the Ole Miss shortstop. Brown came in to score the first run on Heather Johnson’s (Los Alamitos, Calif./Mater Dei) RBI ground out to the second baseman.
The Rebels attempted to rally in the fourth inning. Lauren Grill reached on a one-out fielder’s choice and moved to third on the single down the right-field line by Mary Jane Callahan. Grill was originally called out at third on the throw from Notre Dame right fielder Ashley Ellis (Pikeville, Tenn./Bledsoe County) but after an umpire’s conference the call was reversed. The Notre Dame hurler, Brittney Barger (Corona, Calif./Corona), retired the next two batters in order on a short fly out and ground out to get out of the inning unscathed.
The Ole Miss offense was on the move again in the fifth inning with Amber Tramp knocking a lead-off double down the right-field line. A one-out infield single from Lauren Rowe put runners on first and second. Emily Sarver followed with a single down the left-field line to score Courtnie Ghinaudo, who was pinch running for Tramp, and tie the game at one.
Notre Dame would answer with a pair in the fifth inning. Junior Sarah Smith (Oklahoma City, Okla./Heritage Hall) hit a looping single over a drawn in infield to start the inning. Brown followed with a single to the third baseman. The Rebels’ third baseman threw the ball away on the play enabling both runners to move up a base. Kohan, after a ground out, drove a ball up the middle that kicked off the Rebels second baseman as she tried to make a difficult backhanded stop. Both Smith and Brown would score on the play giving Notre Dame a 3-1 advantage.
The Irish made the lead hold up as Bargar picked up her fourth win of the season. The sophomore pitched her sixth complete game of the season. Becky Nye took the loss and is now 0-6 this year.
Notre Dame will next travel to the Jacksonville Tournament and take on Virginia at 3 p.m. and Jacksonville at 5 p.m. on Friday, March 2
Irish Notes: Notre Dame has now gone 2-3 in each of its first two tournaments of the season … Brown went 11-for-18 with five runs scored during the tournament … Kohan was the team-leader with five RBI during the weekend