May 6, 2007

Box Score

Villanova, Pa. - On the final day of the 2007 softball season for the Villanova Wildcats they played host to the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Villanova Softball Field. The Irish, who had already clinched a spot in the BIG EAST Tournament next weekend, came away with a 5-2 victory in game one of the doubleheader.

To open the game, both teams went down quietly through the first three innings with neither team able to crack the hit column. But the Irish broke through in the fourth inning with an RBI single to take a 1-0 lead.

In the fifth inning, Notre Dame (28-21, 12-7) tacked on four more runs on a pair of two-run singles to push the lead to 5-0.

Villanova (25-30-1, 5-16) would get on the board in the sixth inning thanks to line drive by Eryn Teague to third base that deflected off the glove of Carissa Jaquish and into left field. Greta Holmgren and Danielle Maricle both came around to score, cutting the Villanova deficit to 5-2.

But Kenya Fuemmeler, who came on in relief in the sixth inning, would settle down in the seventh to retire the Wildcats in order to end the game.

Junior Nicci Ward (5-9) took the loss for Villanova, surrendering five runs on eight hits while issuing just one walk and striking out four.

Brittney Bargar (19-12) picked up the win for Notre Dame by pitching five shutout innings and giving up just three hits while striking out six.

Offensively for Villanova, they got just five hits off the Irish pitching with two coming from Maricle. One of Maricle's hits was a triple, her first of the year on a sinking line drive into the right field corner that skipped away from the Notre Dame defender.