No. 25 Softball loses to No. 24/23 Notre Dame, 5-1

Saturday, February 21

Cathedral City, Calif.

11:30 a.m.

University of Texas

9-6

Notre Dame

8-5

Notre Dame

Texas

No. 25 Softball loses to No. 24/23 Notre Dame, 5-1

02.21.2015 | Softball

Box Score

Horns return to action in the Texas Invitational over Feb. 27-March 1 at McCombs Field

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – A three-run fourth inning helped lead No. 24/23 Notre Dame (8-5) past No. 25 Texas (9-6) on Saturday morning at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, 5-1.

Sophomore pitcher Tiarra Davis took the loss to fall to 4-2 on the season, allowing four earned runs on four hits with three walks and two K's over 3.2 innings.

After each team left a runner stranded in scoring position during the opening frame, Notre Dame nabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the second as third baseman Katey Haus hit a solo HR to center.

The Fighting Irish offense added more to its lead in the top of the fourth as consecutive one-out walks got a major scoring opportunity started. A single to center plated UND's second run of the contest, but on the play, junior center fielder Lindsey Stephens fired a strike to junior Stephanie Ceo at third. She applied the tag as the runner slid past the base for the second out. Notre Dame would do more damage, however, as another RBI base knock staked the Irish to a 3-0 advantage and ended Davis' stint in the circle as sophomore Lauren Slatten was brought into the match-up in relief. The new hurler was immediately greeted by a double to left that brought home UND's fourth run of the game.

Notre Dame added to its advantage in the top of the sixth as a lead-off single by Haus, a groundout, a stolen base and a wild pitch plated one to make it 5-0.

Sophomore second baseman Kelli Hanzel did her best to get the Texas offense untracked by christening the bottom of the sixth with a lead-off single to left. Ceo stepped to the dish and ripped a liner to first that ricocheted off the first baseman. Unfortunately for the Horns, the second baseman managed to race over and back up the play, making the throw to first for the out. That helped keep UT from a potentially larger rally as senior designated player Gabby Smith followed immediately with an RBI single up the middle, cutting the Longhorns deficit to 5-1. Stephens made solid contact on a two-out offering, but as had been the case all day, UND's defense made a great play as a liner to first was caught, virtually on the way by, to end the Texas threat.

Down to one final chance, junior first baseman Holly Kern got Texas off a positive start by drawing a lead-off walk to open the seventh. A subsequent liner to third was caught, however, and UT's runner was caught off first for a double play. A pop-up out in front of home plate ended the game with Notre Dame winning 5-1.