Feb. 13, 2010
Game 1: Box Score | Box Score 
Game 2: Box Score | Box Score
TEMPE, Ariz. – Notre Dame dropped a pair of non-conference softball contests Saturday at Arizona State’s Kajikawa Classic. The day started with a 5-2 loss to Auburn followed by a 7-3 setback to Oregon State on a picturesque evening at the Tempe Sports Complex.
Notre Dame (1-3) fell behind early in each of the contests and could not heat the bats at the right times, scoring a combined five runs in the two games on 16 hits. The Irish had eight hits against both Auburn (2-2) and Oregon State (1-3).
Jody Valdivia (1-1) saw her 18-game winning streak come to an end after going 7.0 innings versus Auburn despite striking out nine batters. Valdivia gave up five earned runs on eight hits while the Irish committed three errors in the game.
The Irish wrap up the Kajikawa Classic against No. 1 Washington Sunday at 12:30 p.m. (ET). Live stats will be available at UND.com.
-Game 1-
Caitlin Stangl tied an Auburn single-game record with four hits and scored twice for the Tigers.
Auburn put up four runs in the third to break open a scoreless game. The Tigers loaded the bases with one out when Kelsey Cartwright singled down the leftfield line to score a pair. Amber Harrison was walked to load bases again and Kyndall White singled up the middle to plate two more runs, putting Auburn on top by a 4-0 margin.
Notre Dame waited until the bottom of the fourth to get on the board as Heather Johnson sent the first pitch of the frame over the centerfield fence. Christine Lux dropped a single into shallow left but was sent back to the dugout on an Erin Marrone fielder’s choice. Alexia Clay singled to right to put two on base for Amy Buntin, and a pass ball put both runners in scoring position. Buntin singled up the middle to score Marrone and Clay was thrown out at the plate by Krista Clyde from center. The Irish totaled two runs on four hits in the inning to make it a 4-2 game in Auburn’s favor.
Another Tiger run crossed in the fifth when Auburn loaded the bases and Amber Harrison drove in a score with a sacrifice fly to left.
Lauren Schmalz (1-0) gave up seven hits and one earned run in 4.0 frames to get the win. Angel Bunner captured the save by tossing 3.0 innings of scoreless one-hit ball.
Buntin led the Irish with a pair of hits.
Notre Dame has now lost five straight games to Southeastern Conference opponents with its last win against the league coming over Ole Miss in 2008. Auburn snapped a four-game skid to the Irish.
-Game 2-
The nightcap marked the first time in six meetings the Irish faced an unranked Oregon State squad. But Oregon State played like a team in midseason form, leading by a 7-0 count after the visitor’s portion of the sixth inning.
Mary Claire Brenner hit a two-run homer to center as the Beavers grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first.
Jackie Bowe (0-2) got out of a jam with the bases loaded in the top of the second by getting a pair of Beavers to fly out to leftfield, ending the top half of the stanza without a run.
Lux sent the first pitch she saw through the right side of the infield in the second, although the Irish offense would then stall for the next few innings.
Oregon State went ahead 3-0 in the third. With two outs and runners on the corners, a delayed double-steal crossed a score for the Beavers.
After Oregon State posted a four-spot in the sixth, the Irish got on the board in the bottom half when Lux’s ground-rule double to left scored Alexa Maldonado and Fleury.
Buntin scored in the seventh on Maldonado’s infield groundout. Buntin posted a sharp infield single to start the inning.
Paige Hall (1-3) gave up three earned runs and struck out four to get the complete-game win. Bowe went 3.0 innings and surrendered three earned runs on five hits.
Oregon State had 10 hits, stole three bases and stranded 11 runners on base. Notre Dame committed two errors.
Clay and Lux each had two hits for Notre Dame.
–ND–