CLERMONT, Fla. – Notre Dame College softball will come back home after their trip to Florida came to an end on Saturday. They are currently 4-9 and will get ready to play on Normandy Field next weekend.

Notre Dame took on Felician University on March 8 in a high scoring contest which turned out to be a 13-11 loss. Felician scored seven times in the top of the first inning, which included a three-run home run and a two run single. But NDC responded with nine runs in the bottom of the second inning.

In the inning, junior Halli Swiger, junior Shelby Stephens and senior Myranda Rowland hit three consecutive singles. After an RBI goundout, freshman Kim Crookston tripled to right field, scoring two more. The Falcons would score two more runs on an error and a single.

After both teams scored two runs in the third inning, the Golden Falcons chipped away at the Notre Dame lead with a run in the fifth inning on a double. Felician scored three runs more in the top of the sixth inning.

The Falcons won the second game on March 8 by a score of 4-2 over Bentley University. In the first inning, Stephens scored after junior Erin Calhoun reached on a passed ball on strike three. Crookston then reached on an error, which allowed freshman Katelyn Rheude to score from third.

NDC scored in the fourth and fifth inning while Bentley added two runs in the bottom of the seventh.

Freshman McKenzie Zigmont (2-1) started in the pitcher's circle and was given the win as she went six innings and allowed two earned runs. She also went 2-for-4 at the plate with a double. Freshman Mikayla Grajczyk (1) worked an inning of relief and got the save.

On March 9, NDC lost 5-1 to Lewis University and then fell 3-1 to Barry University. Against Lewis, the only run that the Falcons put on the board was a home run from Crookston in the seventh inning. LU scored a run in the second inning and four runs in the third inning.

Barry scored three runs in the third inning on a double steal which allowed Peyton Rawls to steal home. Later in the inning, Anieliese Palmeiro tripled and plated two runs. Stephens hit a solo homer in the sixth to left center field for NDC's only run.

In the first game of the day on March 10, Notre Dame was held scoreless, on six hits in a 4-0 loss to Southern New Hampshire University. Maddy Barone (4-0) pitched a complete game shutout for SNHU with five strikeouts and picked up the win. Freshman Brenna Lorek had her first career hit for NDC and ended the game going 3-for-3 with three singles.

The Falcons were held to just three hits against No. 22 Merrimack College in the second game on Saturday. However, Mikayla Grajczyk (0-1) was strong in the pitching circle against a ranked team, going six innings three runs. She struck out five, but did pick up the loss.

After their first 13 games, Amy Hoover leads the team with a .429 batting average while Shelby Stephens leads the Falcons with 14 hits, two home runs and two sacrifice hits.Kim Crookston and McKenzie Zigmont each have three doubles and Halli Swiger knocked in 11 RBI on the trip. In the pitching circle, Mikayla Grajczyk holds a 1.56 ERA.
Sophomore Taylor Olson has appeared in nine games and started eight, going 40.1 innings and striking out 20.

Notre Dame will come home for the first time to play West Liberty University for a double-header on March 17. The first game begins at 1 p.m.