Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
SALEM, W.Va. -- The Notre Dame Falcons returned to action after a two week hiatus on Saturday afternoon, and split a double header against Salem International.  

The Falcons (5-11) snapped a six game slide in the first game of the day with a 1-0 victory in nine innings, before dropping a 7-4 decision in game two. The Tigers (7-11) snapped a five game losing streak with their win in game two.

The opener was won primarily on the arm of Ashley Harbarger, with a little help from the bat of Jessica Bequette.  Both teams battled to a 0-0 score through the first eight innings of action, until Bequette blasted a solo homer, her second of the season in the top of the ninth, and that proved to be the difference.

Harbarger (2-2) never gave the Tigers a chance.  The senior from Akron, Ohio, held SIU to just a single hit through nine scoreless innings and she fanned 11 batters in the process, marking the second time this season that she's hit double digit strikeouts.

Her dominance started at the very beginning of the contest. She fanned the first four batters she faced, and struck out seven the first time through the order.  Harbarger also retired the first 11 batters she faced, and allowed just two base runners throughout the contest.

The Falcons tallied five hits in game one, getting two of those from Bequette, as she went 2-for-3, reaching three times in four plate appearances. 

The hits came early and often in the second contest.  The Falcons plated a pair of runs in the top of the first inning, on a two-run single from Nicole Spuhler to plate both Jessica Cavallero and Rachel Miller.

SIU countered quickly with four runs in the bottom of the inning.  Katie Mangold got the Tigers on the board with an RBI single, before Nikki Grambo singled in the next two give the Tigers the lead.  Mangold scored the final run of the inning on a wild pitch.

The Tigers added three more in the home half of the second to take a 7-2 advantage.   Grambo and Mangold began the inning with back-to-back base hits, before Cady Ficarro brought them in on a three-run blast.

NDC was able to plate two more in the top of the fifth inning to draw within three, but could not get any closer. The rally started on Spuhler's one out single, and she made her way to second on a base hit from Kelsey Coleman.  After Amanda Arendt walked to load the bases, Bequette reached on a fielder's choice to score Spuhler, and Coleman scored moments later on Christine Camp's base hit.

Ashley Hall (1-4) took the loss in game two, allowing four runs, three earned on a trio of hits and was not able to make it out of the first inning. NDC scattered seven hits offensively, with Spuhler coming away with the only multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI.


The Falcons are in action again on Sunday, March 24, in another road tilt. They will travel to Shepherdstown, W.Va. for a double header against Shepherd (W.Va.).  The twin bill is scheduled to start at 11 a.m.