March 18, 2007
FULLERTON, Calif.- Notre Dame’s softball team (9-12) ended its Judi Garman Classic on a sour note, dropping an 8-0 decision in five innings to Pacific (16-9) on Saturday, March 17 in Fullerton, Calif.
The Tigers broke through for a pair of runs in the third inning but it would have been more if not for a smart defensive play from junior Katie Laing (Chandler, Ariz./Corona del Sol) and senior Gessica Hufnagle (Middlebury, Ind./Northridge). Gina Carbonatto hit a one-out single. She took second on pass ball and then stole third but that was as far as she would get as Laing threw her out at home on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Lizzie Hagen, in which Hufnagle did an expert job of blocking home. Jen Curtier followed with a single to move Hagen to second. Hagen would come around to score on Lauren Weyman’s bad hop single up the middle. Curtier would score the second run on Alyce Jorgensen’s single.
Pacific broke the game open with six runs in the fourth inning. Mandy Hickman started the trouble with a single. She moved to second on the throwing error from the Notre Dame pitcher that allowed Casey Goldsand to reach. Hickman would come in to score the third run on Carbonatto’s single up the middle. Hagen then walked to load the bases forcing an Irish pitching change to sophomore Christine Farrell (La Habra, Calif./Sonora). Curtier followed with a single up the middle to score Golsand and Carbonatto. Weyman got into the action next and hit a single through the right side to score Hagen. Senior Kenya Fuemmeler (Salisbury, Mo./Salisbury) re-entered the game on the mound, but after retiring Jorgensen for the second out, she allowed a two-run double to Santos to finish off the scoring.
The Irish attempted to put together a rally of their own in the fifth inning. Sophomore Beth Northway (Kentwood, Mich./East Kentwood) hit a one-out single up the middle. Senior Carissa Jaquish (Highland, Calif./Redlands East Valley) drilled a double into the gap in left centerfield but a fielder’s choice and ground out ended the game for Notre Dame.
Notre Dame will now return home and open the home season on Thursday, March 22 at 5 p.m. against IUPUI.
Irish Notes: The Irish end the Judi Garman Classic with a 1-4 record.