April 6, 1999
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
(NOTRE DAME, Ind.) – The Notre Dame softball team dropped game one 5-4, but game back in game two with a 8-2 win in a doubleheader Monday at Eastern Michigan. The split moved the Irish to 22-14 overall heading into Wednesday’s doubleheader versus Western Michigan, while the Eagles ended the day with a 14-13 overall record.
In game one, both teams combined for nine errors with Eastern Michigan eventually coming out with a 5-4 victory. The Irish scored a run in each of the first two innings to hold a 2-0 edge going into the bottom of the third. The Eagles then erupted for five runs on four hits and three Irish errors to move ahead 5-2. Notre Dame chipped away at the three-run lead with a unearned run in the fourth and later pulled to within one at 5-4 after sophomore Melanie Alkire hit her fourth home run of the season over the left field fence in the top of the fifth. Eagles’ relief pitcher Corey Repicky, however, retired the Irish in order in the top of the sixth and got Notre Dame sophomore Jarrah Myers to line out to second base to end the game in the seventh. Alkire, who relieved Irish starting pitcher Jennifer Sharron in the third, picked up the loss to drop to 3-2, while Stacie Wolf moved to 5-4 with the win for the Eagles.
The Irish recovered from the one-run loss in the first game to open game two with three runs in the top of the first inning on two RBI-doubles by Alkire and sophomore Lizzy Lemire and an RBI single off the bat of Myers. After adding another run in the top of the third, the Irish increased their lead to 7-0 with three runs in the top of the fourth. Eastern Michigan, however, responded in the bottom of the fourth with two runs of its own on RBI-singles by Paula Slingerland and Jillian Raines. With the 7-2 lead, Notre Dame added an insurance run in the top of the seventh and Irish pitcher Angela Bessolo retired the side in order in the bottom of the inning to give the team an 8-2 win.
Notre Dame plays host to Western Michigan on Wednesday, April 7 at 4 p.m. in a non-conference doubleheader. The Irish resume BIG EAST play on Saturday and Sunday with away games at Rutgers and Villanova.