Feb. 27, 2005
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. –
Due to travel schedule and a very late arrival on campus, the full Tennessee recap was delayed until today.
The University of Notre Dame softball team (5-6) claimed its biggest victory of the season on Sunday morning with a 5-2 victory over #5/6 Tennessee (16-2) to cap the weekend at the Palm Spring Classic. The Irish avoid going 0-5 on the weekend with the victory and Notre Dame head coach Deanna Gumpf claim her third win over a top-five foe in her career.
The big hit of the game was provided by junior first basemen Meagan Ruthrauff, who smacked a towering three-run home run in the third inning. Senior Megan Ciolli was also two for three with an RBI for the Irish.
Heather Booth picked up the victory for the Irish in relief of starting pitcher Steffany Stenglein. Booth was close to unhittable over 4.2 innings, striking out five and allowing just one hit. Stenglein allowed two hits, one of which was a two-run home run by Tennesee’s Lindsay Schutzler.
The Irish will return home for midterms before heading to the Los Angeles area and Hawaii for Spring Break.
GAME RECAP:
Notre Dame posted the first scoring chance of the game in the top of the second when Liz Hartmann led off with a single to leftfield. She was replaced by pinch runner Sarah Smith, who soon moved to second on a perfect sacrifice bunt by Kellie Middleton. Carrie Wisen flied out and Nicole Wicks struck out to end the inning.
Sara Schoonaert, one of Notre Dame’s better hitters early this season, led off the top of the third with a laser beam triple down the leftfield line, sliding into the bag easily with her first three-bagger of the year and fourth of her career. She scored two pitches later when Megan Ciolli single to second base – Ciolli’s team-high seventh RBI of the season.
Ciolli was forced out on a fielder’s choice by Stephanie Brown, but Mallorie Lenn drew a walk to put two runners on for Ruthrauff. After a brief meeting at the mound, Ruthrauff swung away on the first pitch she was offered from Rhodes, drilling a towering three-run home run deep to leftfield. The round tripper was the first of the year for Ruthrauff and just the third for Notre Dame in 2005.
Tennessee answered with its own home run in the bottom of the third inning. Tonya Callahan drew a lead off walk and after a strikeout, Lindsay Schultzer launched a two-run shot to rightfield, cutting Notre Dame’s lead in half.
Looking to salvage a lone win out of the weekend against a top-five foe, Irish head coach Deanna Gumpf immediately turned to Heather Booth in relief. Booth quickly ended the inning with a ground out and fly out – helped by a great diving catch in centerfield by Ciolli.
Notre Dame added another run to its lead off a Tennessee defensive error in the top of the fourth. Designated player Carrie Wisen led off with a single and was replaced by pinch runner Gessica Hufnagle. Hufnagle moved to second on a ground out by pinch hitter Katie Laing, then to third on a ground out to first base by Schoonaert.
Ciolli then stepped in an hit a ground ball to first which should have been handled by UT’s Callahan. The ball bounced away, Ciolli ended up safe at first and Hufnagle scored the unearned run on the play.
Booth kept the Irish momentum going in the bottom of the fourth by striking out the fourth, fifth and sixth hitters in the lineup to get the Irish offense back in the batter’s box.
Tennessee applied some game pressure to the Irish in the bottom of the sixth when lead off hitter Ashley Cline was hit by a pitch. Booth was forced to work through the heart of the Lady Vol order with the tying run on deck. The first out was delivered via a fielder’s choice, with the Irish just missing a double play ground out by a step. The second out came on a ground ball back to Booth in the circle. The junior righthander made a good play stabbing the ball to her right and making a strong accurate throw to first base. A routine ground ball to second base on a 3-2 pitch to Catherine Card ended the inning.