Feb. 17, 2008
TEMPE, Ariz. – Senior Katie Laing posted a 2-for-4 effort from the dish on Sunday to propel the University of Notre Dame softball team to a 4-3 comeback win over California at Farrington Stadium.
Laing, whose family lives in Tempe, cranked a two-run homer down the leftfield line in the third inning to put Notre Dame (2-2) on the board which made it a 3-2 contest in favor of California (6-5).
In the sixth stanza, Christine Lux plated an unearned run after she doubled to right-center then reached home when Ashley Ellis’ grounder to shortstop was mishandled. Lux’s score knotted the game at 3-3.
Then Laing stepped up for an encore performance in the bottom of the seventh, this time smacking the first pitch she saw from Brittany LaRosa (1-2) to right-center to allow Katie Fleury across the plate.
Both teams managed six hits each, though Notre Dame’s Brittney Bargar (2-1) picked up the win after allowing only two hits and no runs in 4.1 innings of relief action. Barger also struckout eight Golden Bears. Starter Jody Valdivia went 2.2 innings, fanning three batters and gave up two earned runs.
–ND–