Feb. 26, 2005
The University of Notre Dame softball team (4-4) ended the first day of competition of the 2005 Palm Springs Classic with a 3-1 loss to #3/4 UCLA (10-2). The Irish are now 0-2 in the tournament, after losing to Loyola Marymount 7-0 earlier on Friday afternoon. Notre Dame will face Pacific and Arizona State as the tournament continues on Saturday, Feb. 26.
The Irish held a brief lead in their contest against UCLA on Friday, as junior Meagan Ruthrauff drove in senior Megan Ciolli with an RBI single in the top of the first. The lead would not last long, however, as the Bruins answered with two runs in the bottom of the first off ND starting pitcher Heather Booth (2-2). Once Booth settled down the game turned into a pitchers’ duel, with just five batters reaching base (both teams combined) over the final six innings.
Ciolli, moved into the lead off spot for the first time this season against UCLA, responded with a laser beam single up the middle to begin the game. She stole second base and eventually scored on a single through the left side by Ruthrauff. The earned run was the first surrendered by UCLA starting pitcher Angelica Selden since her first start of the season – and just the second earned run of the year given up by the Bruin sophomore righthander.
UCLA answered back in its half of the first inning with back-to-back singles, a sacrifice bunt, a double and a wild pitch. Emily Zaplatosch provided the big hit, driving in the tying run with a two-out double. Notre Dame’s Carissa Jaquish, starting her first game at catcher this season, was unable to control a ball in the dirt later in the inning, which allowed UCLA’s Andrea Duran to score the winning run.
The Bruins tacked on an insurance run in the fifth inning when Caitlin Benyi reached on an infield hit, advance to second on a throwing error and scored on an RBI single from Duran.
While Booth’s start to the game was rocky, she recovered to post a gutsy performance against a perennial national championship contender. She struck out seven in six innings of work, scattering six hits and walking just one batter.
After Selden’s unsteady first inning for UCLA, she settled down to retire the six consecutive batters before Ruthrauff drew a walk in the fourth inning. The free pass was just the third of the year thrown by Selden and the first in 38 1/3 innings of work in 2005.
The Irish, now 4-4 on the season, have already faced this scenario in 2005. In Gainesville, Fla., on the first weekend of the season, Notre Dame lost its first two games of the GRU Classic before rallying to win three straight and claim the tourney title. For a repeat effort, the Irish will need to knock off #20/24 Pacific and Arizona State (receiving votes in the national rankings) Saturday and #5/6 Tennessee on Sunday to complete their portion of the tournament schedule.