Box Score SALEM, Va. -- After numerous rain delays throughout the day on Friday, the Notre Dame College softball team squared off with the No. 2 seed Concord Mountain Lions in the first round of the Mountain East Conference Tournament. The seventh-seeded Falcons put up a tough fight against the Mountain Lions, but ultimately fell short 2-1 to drop their first game of the round-robin MEC Tournament.
The 2-vs-7 matchup featured a pitchers duel between Concord's Katie Snodgress and NDC's
Ashley Hall. Both pitchers pitched a scoreless first inning before offense sprouted in the second inning.
In the bottom of the second inning, a leadoff walk to Concord's Lauren Lewis sparked a two-run inning for the Mountain Lions. Lewis stole second and scored via RBI single as Concord went on to score two runs, taking a 2-0 lead into the third inning.Â
In the third inning, the pitchers duel resumed as both Hall and Snodgress tossed 1-2-3 frames for a quick inning.
In the top of the fourth,
Kelsey Coleman reached via error to lead off the inning for NDC.
Mackenzie Wallace reached base via fielders choice, and a walk to
Kayla Sidorski put the tying run on base for the Falcons.
Anissa Kotoch then singled up the middle, but a throw to third in time caught Wallace out, and another fielders choice ended the Falcons' spark.
Hall immediately backed up her teammates with yet another 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the fourth, working through the Concord lineup with ease.
The Mountain Lions held their 2-0 lead until the top of the seventh inning when the Falcons put together a late rally.
Brittany Kirwin ripped a double to left-center and
Anna Myers earned a one-out walk to bring the winning run to the plate for the Falcons. Coleman reached base via error for the second time in the game, and the Mountain Lions' miscue allowed Kirwin to score, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
However, that's as close as the Falcons would come as they dropped their opening game of the MEC Tournament, 2-1, to Concord.Â
The Falcons will return to action on Saturday, May 2 against No. 6 Fairmont State in a win-or-go-home game. First pitch is scheduled for Noon on Saturday.
