CHARLESTON, W.Va. – After falling in game one by a score of 7-2 against the University of Charleston, Notre Dame College scored four runs and posted eight hits in game two. The two teams went to extra innings, but UC came out on top with a 5-4 victory.
In the first game of the day, junior
Lexi Rehm led off with a double for NDC in the second inning. She would head to third on an error and then scored on a passed ball.
The Falcons held the 1-0 lead until Charleston struck for four runs in the third inning. Four consecutive singles brought in the four runs, one at a time.
Notre Dame responded in the fourth inning and cut the deficit to two runs. Rehm walked and moved to third on an error. Senior
McKenzie Zigmont, who reached first on the error, stole second to put two runners in scoring position. Sophomore
Mya Wright hit an RBI groundout, scoring Rehm.
Charleston added one run in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to grab a 7-2 lead.
UC struck first in game two, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Three singles to start the inning loaded the bases and then Gracie Donato plated one run with a base hit to left field. A groundout scored the second run.
Senior
Maria Payne led off the top of the third with a single. She moved to second base on senior
Katelyn Rheude's sacrifice bunt and scored NDC's first run on an RBI double by junior
Daniele Rivera.
In the fifth inning, Rheude singled, Rivera walked and junior
Alexi Maciejowski was hit by a pitch. With two out, senior
Taylor Olson singled to center field to bring in two runs. Zigmont then followed her with a single to left field, which scored another run and put NDC in front, 4-2.
Neither team scored again until Donato hit a solo home run to lead off the sixth inning for UC. Then in the seventh, Karli Pinkerton singled and moved to second on an error. Donato hit an RBI single to center field to tie the game at four.
Kendal Marshall won the game for the Golden Eagles in the ninth inning when her fly ball out to center field was deep enough to score the runner from third.
In the batter's box, Olson had three hits for NDC in the second contest. From the pitcher's circle, she struck out six UC hitters in 8 2/3 innings. Olson now leads the program in most career complete games with 61.
Notre Dame will return home to play Alderson Broaddus University on April 21. The first game of the double-header is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.
