Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
CLERMONT, Fla. -- The Notre Dame College softball team ran into stiff competition on Friday afternoon, continuing their Spring 2015 trip against Georgian Court University and Merrimack College. NDC battled throughout the day, but ultimately fell short in each game, losing by respective scores of 9-8 and 8-3.

Game One
Georgian Court University 9, Notre Dame College 8

In a high-scoring affair between the Falcons and the Georgian Court Lions, the first inning belonged to GCU. The Lions used consecutive hits as well as defensive miscues from NDC to compile a four-run inning, leading 4-0 after the first.

In the top of the second, the Falcons knew they needed runs and wasted no time creating offense. Nataly Ciocca worked a leadoff walk to start the inning, and Maria Vanadia followed up with a single to put two runners on base for NDC. Amy Hoover then ripped a double up the middle to score Ciocca and advance Vanadia to third, putting the Falcons on the scoreboard.

Down 4-1 with two runners on and still no outs, Tayler Graver singled to keep the rally alive, scoring another run for NDC and cutting the deficit to 4-2 through two innings.

After Ashley Pokraka effectively worked a scoreless second inning, the Falcons offense returned to work in the top of the third. 

Kayla Sidorski hit a one-out single and Vanadia stayed hot with another single, scoring Sidorski and bringing the Falcons within one run, 4-3. After Vanadia's hit, Hoover and Graver again recorded back-to-back hits, and Graver's single tied the game at four after Vanadia scored.

After Pokraka worked a scoreless bottom of the third, both sides went into the top of the fourth with the score tied at four.

Kelsey Coleman led off the fourth inning with a solo home run, her third of the season already, to give the Falcons their first lead of the game, 5-4. However, the lead didn't last long as the Lions scored one run of their own in the bottom half of the fourth, tying the game again at five. 

In the bottom of the fifth, the Lions used a two-run home run to key a three-run inning, taking an 8-5 lead over NDC through five innings.

Just when it seemed as if the Lions had all the momentum, the Falcons' offense again heated up.

Coleman led off the sixth with a single, and Nicole Spuhler followed with a huge RBI double to score Coleman and cut into the deficit. Later in the inning with two outs, Vanadia picked up her third hit of the day with a two-run single, tying the game at eight and giving the Falcons momentum again.

However, the Lions managed one run in the bottom of the sixth inning to again steal the lead back, 9-8.

The Falcons looked primed to tie the game in the seventh after consecutive hits from Graver and Mackenzie Wallace, but three straight outs cut the the comeback effort short, as NDC lost 9-8. 

Game Two
Merrimack College 8, Notre Dame College 3

In the second game of Friday's twinbill, the Falcons faced off with the Merrimack Warriors of the Northeast Ten Conference. NDC tied the Warriors with eight hits in the game, but fell short on the scoreboard by a final score of 8-3. 

Merrimack scored two runs in the top of the first to take the lead early over NDC, using a leadoff single and triple to spark the rally and take a 2-0 lead. 

Offense remained stagnant for both sides and the score remained at 2-0 until the top of the fourth inning. The Warriors racked up two singles to plate one more run, pushing their advantage to 3-0 going into the bottom half of the fourth.

Looking for their first offense of the game, the Falcon bats woke up in the bottom of the fourth. Brittany Kirwin ripped a one-out double to left field, and Maria Vanadia earned a walk to bring the tying run to the plate. Nataly Ciocca then walked on four straight pitches, loading the bases for Amy Hoover.

Hoover hit a sacrifice fly to score Kirwin to give NDC their first run of the game, and suddenly the Falcons were back in it. Tayler Graver continued a dominant day at the plate with an RBI double to score Vanadia and cut the deficit to just 3-2 through four innings.

However, the Warriors exploded for five runs in the top of the fifth, taking a commanding 8-2 lead over NDC. The Falcons scored one more run late in the seventh inning, but that was all as NDC fell by a final score of 8-3 to Merrimack.

The Falcons will return to action Saturday, March 7 with a pair of games against the University of Indianapolis and Slippery Rock University. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.