Feb. 18, 2012
Game 1: Box Score | Box Score 
Game 2: Box Score | Box Score
SAN DIEGO – Amy Buntin drove in three scores on two hits Saturday against UC Santa Barbara to help give Notre Dame a 6-4 win at the Campbell/Cartier Classic. Buntin’s efforts came on the heels of a 3-2 non-conference softball setback to Oregon State to open the day.
Notre Dame (1-3) concludes its five-game stretch at the season-opening event at 9:00 a.m. (PT) Sunday morning against Boise State.
-Game 1-
Oregon State (5-3) struck first with two unearned runs in the bottom of the second. The Beavers would match Notre Dame with four hits but did not score an earned run. Notre Dame committed one error in front of a friendly crowd at the USD Softball Complex.
The top of the fourth saw Jenna Simon reach first on a throwing error which bought her enough time to head to second. Simon would score on Dani Miller’s sacrifice liner to right to cut the Oregon State lead in half, 2-1.
Laura Winter (0-2) helped her cause with fifth-inning double to halt Marina Demore’s (3-1) no-hitter. One pitch later, Lauren Stuhr tripled home pinch runner Kelsey Thornton to tie the game at 2-2.
Winter walked two with 10 strikeouts in a solid 6.2 innings in the circle.
Emilee Koerner and Winter each had singles in the top of the seventh but Notre Dame could not scratch across a score while leaving runners on the corners when the game ended.
Winter finished 2-for-2 at the dish.
-Game 2-
Alexa Maldonado was hit by a pitch to start the day’s second game and stole two bags before trotting home on Buntin’s stand-up double to right-center at the San Diego State Softball Stadium.
Buntin would go 2-for-4 with a game-high three RBI. Miller added two hits and two RBI.
Starter Jackie Bowe was left without the decision after giving up four runs – one earned – on two hits in 3.2 innings. She gave way to Brittany O’Donnell (1-1) who hurled a scoreless 1.1 innings of three-hit ball for the win. Winter tossed the final 2.0 innings for the save.
The Irish tagged Andriana Collins (0-6) for five earned runs on six hits in the opening 2.0 innings.
Four Irish runs came on five hits in the third, including singles by Stuhr, Maldonado, Buntin, Miller and Katey Haus.
UC Santa Barbara (1-9) posted three runs to cut Notre Dame’s lead to 5-4 in the fourth.
Chloe Saganowich singled down the rightfield line to begin the seventh, Cassidy Whidden was hit by a pitch, Kelsey Thornton laid down a sacrifice bunt and Maldonado doubled to left to plate Notre Dame’s sixth run.
–ND–