DECATUR, Ala. -- Notre Dame will play one more game in Alabama, but the Falcons' shot at advancing to the championship bracket of the NAIA National Championship Tournament for a second straight year was thwarted on Saturday with a 3-2 loss to No. 17 Trevecca Nazarene (Tenn.). (Box)

Notre Dame (25-26) and Trevecca (43-15) traded solo runs between the second and sixth innings, with the Trojans vaulting ahead for good on a home run by first baseman Melinda Patterson in the top of the sixth inning. With the victory, TNU has now won seven of its last eight games. The Trojans will face second-ranked (NAIA Coaches' Poll) Lee on Monday in a game that will decide which team from Pool B advances to the tournament's eight-team, double-elimination Championship Bracket (each of eight pool winners will advance).

Saturday's game had originally been scheduled as a Friday afternoon game, but rains in Northern Alabama forced the postponement of Friday's action in Decatur.

The contest got underway with NDC scoring first when the middle of the Falcon order manufactured a run on a walk by #Melissa Dykes#, a sacrifice bunt by #Christine Kasidonis# and an RBI single by #Felisha Jones#. That run gave Notre Dame starter #Ashley Harbarger# a 1-0 lead, which was erased in the top of the third when TNU catcher Karli Rush knocked in a run on a two-out triple. For the game, Rush went 2-for-3 with a triple and a walk.

TNU then took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth, when third baseman Melissa Dykes and right fielder #Charisse Colston# committed throwing errors on the same play, an infield hit by Monica West.

The Falcons, though, answered that run with one of their own in the bottom of the fifth, when Jones came around to score after leading off the frame with a double to center. She was plated by a two-out single off the bat of #Mallory Harder#.

Patterson's home run, a shot to right field, came with one away in the sixth, and it put the Trojans up, 3-2. Sophomore pitcher Lauren Baker, who started for Trevecca, allowed a lead-off walk to start the NDC sixth, but she then set down the next six Falcon batters to close out the win for TNU. Notre Dame went quietly in the seventh, being retired on two pop-ups and a ground out.

For the game, Baker allowed five hits on four singles and a double. She walked two and struck out three. Her foe in the circle, Ashley Harbarger, went the distance, allowing three runs (two earned) on eight base hits. Harbarger issued three free passes while fanning two batters.

“Ashley threw a strong game,” said NDC head coach #Amy Kyler#. “They took advantage of one mistake pitch, and on our end we just couldn't come up with the big hits when they were needed most.”

NDC will now close out its season on Monday when they face another team that's 0-2 thus far in the tournament, Savannah Art & Design (GA.). That game will be played at 1:30 p.m. ET on Monday. Live stats will be provided on the NAIA's tournament page.


NOTES FROM THE NEST …

LONELIEST NUMBER: With their 3-2 loss on Saturday, Notre Dame is now 3-15 this season in games decided by one run. … Prior to the Trojans' come-from-behind win, the Falcons had been 21-7 this season when scoring first.

FENCED IN: The Trojans' go-ahead home run Saturday was the third yielded by Harbarger in her last four games. She has only yielded six round-trippers on the season. With two earned runs allowed in seven innings, she lowered her season ERA to 2.28. … Harbarger held TNU to a 1-for-9 mark with runners in scoring position.

STRIKING BACK: Falcon hitters did a fine job in putting the ball in play against Baker, who came into the tournament having struck out 206 batters in 180 2/3 innings. Two days prior against Lee, Notre Dame was baffled by Johana Gomez who whiffed NDC 14 times, a season high for the Falcons.