Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
PANAMA CITY, Fla. -- The Notre Dame Falcons began the 2012 season with a double header split, on the first day of the NFCA NAIA Leadoff Classic, falling to Auburn-Montgomery in the opener, and rebounding with a victory over Bellevue (Neb.).  (Gm-1) | (Gm-2)

For Notre Dame (1-1), the double header marked their first bit of action since being eliminated from the NAIA national tournament last May, while Auburn-Montgomery (8-3) has won three out of their last four and Bellevue fell to 1-5.

The NDC offense was silenced in the opening contest, as the Falcons came away with just three hits and were blanked, 3-0.  The three hits were all base knocks, and they were scattered. Christine Kasidonis, Megan Turner, and Steph Glueck provided the base hits for NDC, while the Warhawks did all of their damage in the fourth inning.   

Auburn-Montgomery capitalized on a pair of errors, and three hits to produce the big inning.  It began with a single from Megan Rogers, who scored moments later on a three-bagger from Brandi Richards.  Richards came home on the play as well as a result of Kadisonis's error.  Sarah Suggs singled and made her way over to third base on a throwing error, before coming home on Cheyenna Kawal's sacrifice fly ball to center field.

AMU's Cassie Daniels (2-1) scored the victory after tossing seven shutout innings.  She allowed just the three hits, allowed no free passes and fanned seven.  Ashley Harbarger (0-1) took the loss, after allowing all three runs, only two earned on four hits while fanning a trio of batters over five innings.  Ashley Hall came on in relief and tossed a 1-2-3 sixth inning. 

Pitching was strong again for the Falcons in the second contest, as they came away with a 2-1 victory over Bellevue.  The trio of Christine Camp, Christina Hutchison, and Ashley Hall held the Bruins to just a run on three hits in the win.

Offensively, the bottom third of the NDC batting order did a vast majority of the damage, tallying three out of NDC's five hits, which produced both runs. 

Kelsie Bridgeford stroked an RBI single in the top of the second inning to give Bellevue an early 1-0 advantage, but the Bruins spoiled an opportunity to increase that lead, after Camp worked her way out of a bases loaded jam. 

The Falcons plated both of their runs in the home half of the second inning.  Senior shortstop Felisha Jones started a two-out rally for NDC with a base hit, and scored the tying run moments later on Jessica Bequette's double.  Bequette advanced to third on the play, and came home moments later on Nicole Spehar's single to left field. 

Camp (1-0) scored the victory after allowing a run on a pair of hits over two innings, while Hall (1) secured her first save of the season.  Hall tossed four scoreless innings of two-hit ball, retiring 12 out of the 14 batters she faced, and induced a pair of double plays. 

Megan Turner was the only Falcon to hit safely more than once, going 2-for-6 on the evening, and stroked one of NDC's two extra base hits as well.  Bequette and Turner both smacked doubles. 


The Falcons will be back in action on Saturday, March 3, as they continue their trip down south, with two more games in the NFCA Leadoff Classic.  The Falcons will begin play at 9:00 AM against Martin Methodist (Tenn.), and the time and opponent of their second contest has not been determined.

NOTES FROM THE NEST

OPENING NUMBERS: The Falcons are 6-10 on opening day since 2005.  Last year, they opened the season with a pair of losses on the road against Lindsey Wilson (Ky.).

THE ROAD AHEAD: Friday's twin bill marked the beginning of a 17-game trip down south.  Altogether, the trip will take the Falcons to four different cities, in two states (Florida and Alabama).  NDC is scheduled to play five games in the NFCA tournament over the weekend, before playing  a double header against West Florida.  The Falcons will then play five games in the University of Mobile tournament, before finishing their trip with five games in the Gulf Shores Tournament.