March 17, 2007
FULLERTON, Calif.- The luck of the Irish was not with Notre Dame’s softball team (9-11) as it fell to No. 8/8 Texas (23-5), 3-0, on the third day of the prestigious Judi Garman Classic on Saturday, March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day) in Fullerton, Calif. at the Titan Softball Complex. Notre Dame will play a second game this evening against Pacific at 8:30 p.m. (PT) to conclude the tournament.
The Longhorns scored a run in the first. Loryn Thomas walked and moved to second on Tallie Thrasher’s bounding single through the left side. A walk to Megan Willis loaded the bases. Kacie Gaskin plated the first run with a single up the middle. Katie Laing (Chandler, Ariz./Corona del Sol) did a nice job of cutting the lead runner, Thrasher, down at the plate on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Kori Cook for the second out. Sophomore Brittney Bargar (Corona, Calif./Corona) then struck out Crystal Saenz to end the frame and escape further damage.
Bargar escaped another sticky situation in the third inning. Thrasher hit a ball between the mound and the catcher that she legged out to lead off the inning. A one-out infield single from Gaskin put two runners aboard but Bargar induced a fly out and ground out to end the inning unscathed.
Freshman Christine Lux (Glendale, Ill./Glenbard West) doubled off the wall with one-out in the fifth inning for the only Notre Dame hit. But she could move no farther, as the next two were set down in order by Texas pitcher Meagan Denny.
Texas added a pair of runs to its lead in the bottom of the frame. Willis reached base on a fielder’s choice and came in to score on Gaskin’s home run to right field.
Bargar (6-7) took the loss for the Irish, as she went six innings and allowed all three runs on eight hits with four strikeouts. Denny (15-4) went the distance for Texas with only one hit allowed and 13 strikeouts.
Irish Notes: This was the third meeting between these two schools on the softball diamond with the Longhorns now holding a 2-1 advantage … all three of the Texas games have taken place at the Judi Garman Classic.