April 10, 2008

SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – Notre Dame defeated Oberlin College in both ends of a home doubleheader Thursday at a chilly Campus Field. Both wins came in run-rule shortened affairs - the Falcons defeated the Yeowomen, 9-1 and 15-1. In the second game, NDC scored a season-best 15 runs in the second inning. The Falcons, who struggled offensively early in the season, have now scored 58 runs over their last six games.

Second baseman Jessica Simmons (So/Garfield Heights, OH) stuffed Thursday's box scores with five hits, five RBIs, and four runs scored. The Blue & Gold banged out 30 hits, while making just 28 outs on the afternoon.

Game one (NDC 9, OC 1)
The Falcons and Yeowomen were knotted in a taut pitchers' duel through four innings of the first game. NDC struck for two in the first, and Oberlin tallied one in the fourth for the only scoring through four frames.

A solo homer by third baseman Anna Ball (Jr/Bellville, OH) added an NDC run in the fifth. The Falcons broke the game up for a run-rule (eight runs, five innings) victory in the sixth, when five different batters collected extra-base knocks. The Yeowomen committed two errors in the inning.

Freshman Meredith Harbarger (Akron, OH) was in the circle for Notre Dame in the opener. She went the full six innings and allowed four hits and one earned run. Harbarger struck out eight while walking none.

Game two (NDC 15, OC 1)
In the nightcap, the Falcon offense picked up where it left off in the opener. After OC scored a lone run in the first off NDC starter Katie Lapczenski (Sr/Willoughby Hills, OH), the Falcons went to work.

The Falcons loaded the bases in the home half of the first, but then failed to score.

In the second, a procession of 19 batters came to the plate against two Oberlin hurlers. Notre Dame hitters reached base 15 times on 11 hits, two walks, and two errors. Both Jessica Simmons (two doubles) and Jill Gigliotti (single, home run) notched two base hits in the inning, as the Falcons scored 15 runs. Defensive miscues by the Yeowomen led to 11 unearned runs in the second frame.

After the second stanza, NDC was able to get playing time for much of their bench, and pitcher Brooke Hobson (Fr/Perry, OH) relieved Lapczenski, who went three innings, striking out two. Hobson picked up three strikeouts of her own in the final two innings of the game.

Notre Dame (9-7, 4-2) is scheduled to play a home-and-home series with Malone College this weekend. The Falcons are slated to visit the Pioneers Friday at 3:30pm and then host MC on Saturday at 1:00pm.

For Oberlin, the losses at Notre Dame Thursday continue a long season - the Yeowomen are now 0-19. Sophomore shortstop Julia Chauvin (Hillsborough, NC) led Oberlin for the day. She collected three hits, including a home run in the first game.

NOTES FROM THE NEST...

FIVE O'CLOCK LIGHTNING: Between the sixth inning of game one and the second of game two (2-1/3 innings), NDC batters scored 21 runs on 18 hits. ... The Falcons were 17-for-30 in the two games with runners in scoring position. They collected a total of 11 doubles, one triple, and two home runs in the twin bill. Their 15 runs and 16 hits in the nightcap mark season-highs in both categories.

C-NOTE: Thursday's first game marked the 100th career game for both Anna Ball and Jill Gigliotti (Jr/Medina, OH). Both players have started all 100 games and have not missed an NDC game since their 2006 freshman seasons. Through Thursday's action, Ball and Gigliotti rank one-two in career RBIs for the program (Ball 106, Gigliotti 105). ... Ball hit another milestone against Oberlin - in the sixth inning of game one, the Bellville, Ohio native banged out her 50th career double. Ball has a team-leading seven two-baggers this season.

NORTH & SOUTH: With Thursday's offensive outburst, NDC is now averaging 8.1 runs per game since their return from their Feb.-March spring break trip to Savannah, Ga. In that span (eight games), NDC is batting .382 (94-for-246) as a team. In Savannah (eight games), the Falcons averaged 3.3 runs per contest while hitting just .233 (50-for-215). ... Jessica Simmons batted .217 (5-for-23) with no doubles down south; the NDC second sacker is batting .464 (13-for-28) with six doubles since coming north.