TROUTVILLE, Va. – Once again, on Thursday, Notre Dame College put the first run on the scoreboard in a Mountain East Conference Tournament game. The NDC Falcons scored twice in the fourth inning and Grace Fisher was dominant in the circle, going all seven innings, allowing one run, while striking out eight hitters in a 3-1 victory over Fairmont State University.
 
The FSU Falcons were threatening right away in the bottom of the first inning. Bella Hess led off with a walk and Hannah Workman singled. Both runners stole a base to move into scoring position, with nobody out. Fisher and the NDC defense walked the tightrope to get out of the jam. The next two hitters struck out and then a fly out to center field ended the inning.
 
Fairmont had another runner reach second base in the third inning, but Notre Dame catcher Lindsay Breuer caught a runner attempting to steal for the second consecutive day, ending the frame.
 
Notre Dame did not truly threaten to score until the top of the fourth. Sophomore Danielle Fick led off with a double to the fence in center field and senior Meadow Odum walked. FSU then got a groundball to third base that turned into a double play, which could have ended the momentum that NDC had built. However, the NDC Falcons bounced right back as freshman Jocelyn Quior and junior Alyssa Wahl hit back-to-back RBI singles to give NDC a 2-0 lead. The Falcons had four hits against Fairmont State's starter Delaney Haller in the inning as junior Ella Collinsworth also singled.
 
With an error and a walk, Fairmont State had runners on first and second, with one out in the fourth inning. Once again, Notre Dame found a way out with a fielder's choice to third and a fly out.
 
Fisher was excellent once again, even with a quick turnaround. She threw a complete game in the victory over Glenville State, on Wednesday, in a contest that ended after 10 p.m. and then pitched another complete game on Thursday, with a noon start time. Over her last four starts, she has struck out 41 hitters over 27 innings, while allowing just two runs. She now needs six strikeouts to get to 200 on the season.
 
Fairmont State stranded runners on first and third in the bottom of the fifth, squandering another opportunity. Finally, in the sixth inning, the FSU Falcons broke through. A walk, a sacrifice bunt and an RBI double put the first run on the board for the North Division champions. They had runners on second and third, in the same inning, but did not score any more runs as Fisher struck out two more hitters to end the threat.
 
NDC added a big insurance run in the top of the sixth after a walk, a Quior double and a sac fly by Collinsworth.
 
Quior now has had four multi-hit games over NDC's last five contests. She is on a six-game hitting streak and is tied for the team lead with a .324 batting average.
 
Fick had two doubles in the game and now has 14 on the season, cracking the top ten in program single-season history.
 
The NDC Falcons are on a six-game winning streak, their longest streak of the 2024 season since ripping off seven consecutive victories from March 6 to March 13. This is the first time that Notre Dame has won the first two games of an MEC Tournament since 2014.
 
Notre Dame, now one win away from an MEC Championship matchup, will have the rest of Thursday off and will play the top seed from the South Division, No. 11 ranked Charleston, on May 3. That game is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m.