DECATUR, Ala. -- Notre Dame starter #Tara Meyer# continued her stellar pitching and the Falcons' game-one opponent, Brenau (Ga.), committed four errors, as NDC won their first-ever game in an NAIA National Championship Tournament. (Box)

Meyer, a senior from Chagrin Falls, Ohio, had a two-hit shutout heading into the final inning before yielding a solo unearned run on three singles and a passed ball. Notre Dame scored four unearned runs of their own in what was the first of three games in pool play to kick off the 2009 NAIA Tournament. #Candace Shofar# led the NDC bats with a 2-for-3 night at the plate.

With the victory, the 25th-ranked Falcons start off tournament play 1-0 by picking up a win over the No. 12 team in the nation, Brenau. Notre Dame has now won six straight games and 22 of their last 23. The game marked NDC's first since May 1, when the Falcons clinched the AMC Championship Tournament. Brenau had been off since May 3. 

For Meyer, she has now pitched in 16 games since her last loss, on March 24.  She runs her record to 18-3 on the season, while lowering her ERA to 1.84.  Meyer has now started each of the Falcons' last four games, and in that stretch she is 4-0 with a 1.35 ERA.

Thursday's game started with both starting pitchers hanging zeroes through the early innings. Brenau, playing as the visiting team in the neutral-site game, had their ace, senior Cassie Lassiter, in the circle. Lassiter came into the game with a sparkling 1.33 ERA and 186 strikeouts in 158 innings pitched. She blanked the Falcons through four, striking out six in the process. Meyer allowed just one base runner, on a single, through her first four frames.

NDC finally broke the deadlock in the bottom of the fifth when Lassiter was undone by three errors. The Falcon fifth started when left fielder #Jessica Fiorilli# drew a leadoff walk. After #Lianna Holub# struck out, Fiorilli was moved around to third when #Michelle Dykes# and #Anna Ball# both reached on fielding errors by sophomore second baseman Heidi Cranford. Fiorilli was plated by a #Candace Shofar# infield single, and then the Falcons plated three on an error by BU third baseman Tori Fobb. All four NDC runs in the fifth were unearned.

In the top of the sixth, senior outfielder Maggie Renfro led off with a single to break Meyer's string or retired batters at 11. But Meyer got out of the sixth, preserving the 4-0 lead. The Blue & White plated a solo run in their half of the sixth to push their lead to 5-0.

Meyer then yielded a trio of singles in the seventh, with one run scoring on a passed ball charged to Falcon catcher #Jill Gigliotti#.

The Notre Dame right-hander went the distance, giving up one run (zero earned). She allowed five hits, struck out one and did not walk a batter. Brenau's Lassiter went 5-1/3; she gave up all five NDC runs (one earned) while fanning eight. The pitching for both teams combined to shut down the bats on a clear, 77-degree night in Decatur, Ala. The Golden Tigers and Falcons went a combined 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position.

BU came into the tournament having allowed just 2.0 runs per game (ninth, NAIA) in 51 contests this year. On Tuesday, an NDC offense, highly-ranked on its own accord (eighth in the nation in scoring), prevailed. Now the Falcons turn their attention to pivotal day-two of the tournament.

Notre Dame's next tournament game is slated for Friday morning, when the Falcons take on the Crusaders of William Carey University (Miss.). NDC and WCU have met once this season, with the Crusaders topping the Falcons, 6-4, on March 7 at the Leadoff Classic in Panama City, Fla. William Carey is ranked No. 5 in the nation. 


NOTES FROM THE NEST…

MEET THE GOLDEN TIGERS: Brenau University, a women's college, is located in Gainesville, Ga., and has an enrollment of 1,880 undergraduate students. The Golden Tigers' athletics department offers eight sports. BU competes in the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC). …The Golden Tigers (41-10) advanced to the national tournament by winning the SSAC Tournament; BU is currently ranked No. 12 in the NAIA Coaches' Poll.

POOL PARTY: Elsewhere in Pool-E action - The pool's top-ranked team, William Carey, defeated Waldorf (Iowa), 6-2. The fifth-ranked Crusaders have now won 12 straight games. 

TAGGED OUT:  Senior shortstop #Stephanie Tartaglione# went 0-for-2 with a walk on Thursday against the Golden Tigers.  That broke what stands as Notre Dame's second-longest hitting streak this season; the Euclid, Ohio, native hit safely in 16 straight games prior to Thursday's tourney opener at the Wilson Morgan Softball Complex.  Anna Ball also had a hit streak broken Thursday - Ball had a streak of nine games coming into the tournament.  She is the keeper of NDC's longest streak this season, 17 games (March 24-April 18).  In her nine-game streak, Ball hit .633 (19-for-30) with five doubles, one triple and one homer.

TAKING THE FIFTH:  When the Falcons scored four runs to break the game open in the fifth, they continued what has been a season-long trend of dominance in the fifth inning of games.  The Blue & White have now outscored foes, 49-11, in the fifth. ... NDC is now 19-5 this season when their opponent commits two or more errors in a game. ... The Falcons have sealed the deal whenever they have a late lead in games.  When leading after five, Notre Dame is a perfect 17-0.