Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
FAIRMONT, W.Va. -- The Notre Dame College softball team dropped a Mountain East Conference doubleheader to the host Fairmont State Fighting Falcons on Monday afternoon, losing 12-11 in game one and 13-4 in game two.

GAME ONE
Fairmont State 12, Notre Dame 11

Game one of Monday's doubleheader proved to be a barnburner as both sides scored a combined 23 runs, but a late rally from FSU downed NDC by a final score of 12-11.

Offense came early for the Falcons as Shelby Stephens bombed a three-run home run in the top of the first inning, scoring Mackenzie Wallace and Nicole Spuhler in the process. Stephens' home run gave the Falcons a 3-0 lead early, but FSU responded with one run in the bottom of the first to make it 3-1.

Maria Vanadia led off the second inning with a double, and once again the Falcons' offense was rolling. A one-out single from Anissa Kotoch put runners on first and third for NDC, and a single to right-center by Spuhler scored both Falcons' baserunners to give NDC a 5-1 lead.

After a first-inning homer, Stephens hit a second-inning double to score Spuhler and give the Falcons a 6-1 lead. Stephens would later come around to score via two wild pitches, pushing NDC's lead to 7-1.

Erin Calhoun and Kayla Sidorski then earned consecutive walks to keep the rally alive, and consecutive singles from Anna Myers and Vanadia gave the Falcons a 9-1 lead ging into the bottom of the second inning.

However, the host Fighting Falcons responded with offense of their own, scoring four runs in the third and four more in the fourth to tie the score at 9-9.

In the top of the fifth, NDC pushed back with more offensive firepower. Amy Hoover launched a two-run home run, scoring Vanadia, to put the Falcons back on top, 11-9. FSU responded with a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth, but NDC still led 11-10 going into the sixth inning.

After a scoreless top of the sixth, FSU came to bat in the bottom half of the inning and scored two runs to take a 12-11 lead over NDC.

In their final at-bats in the top of the seventh, NDC was able to get two runners on base but couldn't tie the game or take the lead, falling short by a final score of 12-11.

GAME TWO
Fairmont State 13, Notre Dame 4

After scoring three first-inning runs in game one, the Falcons scored twice in the first inning of game two. Shelby Stephens hit an RBI single that scored Nicole Spuhler, and Stephens later came around to score via RBI double from Kayla Sidorski, giving NDC a 2-0 lead early.

Returning the favor, FSU posted four runs in the bottom half of the first, taking a 4-2 lead over NDC in what looked to be another high-scoring affair.

Halli Swiger led off the second inning with a walk, and eventually came around to score as Spuhler ripped a clutch two-out single to score the runner, cutting the Falcons' deficit to just 4-3.

However, that's as close as the Falcons would come. FSU scored four more runs in the bottom of the second and three more runs in the third to pull away with a 13-4 win over NDC in game two.

With the losses, the Falcons fall to 7-12 overall, including a 2-4 mark in MEC play.

NDC will return to action on Tuesday, March 22 at home against Ashland University in a non-conference doubleheader. Game times are scheduled for 3 pm and 5 pm at Normandy Field.