CLERMONT, Fla. – To start the seven-day, 10-game trip, Notre Dame College played a double-header, on Saturday. Against No. 18 ranked Washburn University, Notre Dame's freshman
Grace Fisher pitched five shutout innings, but WU was able to come back for a 2-1 victory. NDC posted eight runs on eight hits in an 8-5 win over Dominican University.
Notre Dame put the first run on the board in the second inning. Freshman
Danielle Fick led off with a single. Graduate student
Alexi Maciejowski walked before junior
Emily Marsh and freshman
Lindsay Breuer both hit a fielder's choice to bring Fick home. A single by sophomore
Ella Collinsworth loaded the bases, but the Falcons did not score a second time.
Washburn, already looking for its 20th win of the season, had just three hits through the first five innings and did not score a run against Fisher. To start the bottom of the sixth, Paige Robbins singled and moved to second on a ground out. With two out, Marrit Mead singled to tie the game at one. She stole second base and Jaden LaBarge doubled to give WU the lead.
Fisher went 5 2/3 innings, giving up just two runs. For Washburn, Sadie Walker started and went five innings, allowing one run. Sheyenne Cheek got the win and Jaycee Ginter picked up the save.
In game two, Notre Dame took out some frustration in the bottom of the first inning. After falling behind by a run to Dominican, four consecutive singles from junior
Katelyn DeWeese, sophomore
Emma Gumont, Maciejowski and Marsh scored two runs. Both Maciejowski and Marsh scored after an error was committed, giving NDC a 4-1 lead. Marsh and Gumont had a stolen base in the inning, as well.
In the third inning, Maciejowski walked, stole second and came around score on an RBI single by Collinsworth.
DU added a run in the top of the fifth inning, but NDC responded in the bottom half of the frame. DeWeese reached on an error, stole second and scored on a double by Gumont. Maciejowski then hit her first home run of the season to give the Falcons an 8-2 lead.
Dominican added three runs in the sixth inning, but junior
Madison Olszewski closed the door in the final two innings for NDC. Sophomore
Allison Weilnau started the game for the Falcons and pitched five innings, allowing just one run. She was credited with the win.
Maciejowski and Gumont both had two hits in game two. Maciejowski added three RBI and Collinsworth totaled two runs batted in. The team stole four bases in the game, which is tied for third most for a single-game in program history.
Notre Dame will play the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and No. 10 Seton Hill University, on Sunday.