St. John's University Athletics
Red Storm Drop Doubleheader to Notre Dame
4/11/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
In game one, Notre Dame threatened in the bottom of the first, but senior Courtney Fitzgerald (Bellerose, N.Y.) worked her way out of a jam. After giving up a leadoff walk, Fitzgerald forced the Fighting Irish into two fielders choice outs. With two out and one on, Ruthrauff sent a shot up the middle for the first hit of the game. Fitzgerald then got Bledsoe to strike out looking to end the inning.
Despite a great play by senior shortstop Jessica Shepherd (Akron, Ohio), the Irish led off the second with a leadoff hit by Hartman. The Red Storm got the lead runner on a sac bunt attempt by Mattison, to again keep one runner at first. Lenn singled to right centerfield, moving to second on a bobble by the centerfield, and advancing Mattison to third. But freshman third baseman Megan Oliver (Endicott, N.Y.) would end the inning with a spectacular play, grabbing line drive and doubling up Mattison on the fly ball.
With two out in the top of the third, Oliver sent a shot down the right field line for the Red Storms first hit of the game.
Megan Ciolli led off the third with a double when her hit dropped between three Red Storm fielders in short leftfield. With runners on first and second, Loman, Notre Dames powerhitter, sent a shot right to the shortstop, Shepherd, who turned the Red Storms second double play of the day. Fitzgerald once again ended a jam with a strikeout, stranding Ciolli on third to end the third.
Senior Alesha Argeras (Warren, Ohio) got the Red Storms fourth inning started with a walk. Sophomore Allina Sainz (San Diego, Calif.) laid down a sac bunt to advance Argeras to second, the Red Storms first runner to reach scoring position. Sophomore Jillian Sandoval (Orange, Calif.) hit a long shot just over the leftfielders head, sending Argeras for home. An on-target throw to the catcher from the cutoff man, Bledsoe, nailed Argeras at home. The Irish escaped the fourth with no runs allowed.
Fitzgerald sent the Irish down 1-2-3 for the first time in the game in the bottom of the fourth inning.
On four straight pitches, freshman Jessica Marical (Stanton, Calif.) led off the top of the fifth inning with a walk. Marical advanced to second on a sac bunt by freshman Linda Reyes (Garden Grove, Calif.), but was thrown out on her way to third on a fielders choice by senior Jessica Cameron (Girard, Ohio).
After sending down six straight, Fitzgerald gave up a bloop hit to Madrid with two out in the bottom of the fifth. Then with two on, Ruthrauff hit a three-run homer to dead center to give Notre Dame the 3-0 lead.
The Red Storm got on the board in the sixth with one run on three hits. Shepherd led off the sixth inning with a single to leftfield, followed by a fielders choice by Argeras, keeping a Red Storm runner on first. Sainz then reached on a fielders choice and moved along to second on a single just past third base by Sandoval. Freshman Jo Sherlock (San Diego, Calif.) notched her first hit of the day, an RBI double to the centerfield wall, sending Sainz around from second.
In the bottom of the sixth, the first two Irish batters reached base. Hartman sent a rocket to third base for an infield single and Mattison was hit by a pitch. A sac bunt by Lenn moved the runners to second and third with one out. The first baseman Sainz caught deFaus pop fly in foul territory for the second out. Ciollis sent a hit up the middle just over the reach of Fitzgerald, allowing Hartman to score, and beat out Argeras throw to first base for an infield single. Madrid reached on a fielding miscue, which also notched two more runs for Notre Dame. The Irish ended the sixth with a 6-1 advantage.
Fitzgerald (15-12) went the distance for the Red Storm, allowing four earned runs on eight hits. She struck out four and walked two. Heather Booth earned the win for the Irish, giving up five hits and one earned run, while striking out five and walking three.
Argeras reached base three times for the Red Storm on two walks and one fielders choice. Sandoval was 2-for-3 in the game with Sherlock driving in the Red Storms lone run.
In game two, sophomore Meghan Allman (San Diego, Calif.), in the circle for the Red Storm, worked her way out of a jam in the bottom of the first. Allman gave up two walks, one to Madrid, who would work her away over to third on a stolen base and the other to Ruthrauff. Two infield pop-ups would end the inning for the Irish, stranding two runners.
Allman faced the minimum in the second inning, capped by a diving stop by Oliver at third base.
Notre Dame earned its first hit of the game in the bottom of the third, with Middleton legging out a bunt single. She moved to second on a sac bunt by Ciolli and to third on another infield single by Madrid. Loman sent the ball right to Oliver, who caught Middleton in a rundown on the third base line, for the second out of the game. With runners on second and third, Ruthrauff hit a long fly ball to right field, but Marical was there for the putout.
Argeras recorded the Red Storms first hit of the nightcap, sending a shot up the middle to lead off the fourth inning. She advanced to second on a sac bunt by Sainz and came around to score on an RBI double to centerfield by Sherlock, her second of the day. After three and a half innings, the Red Storm owned a 1-0 lead.
Bledsoe got the bottom of the third started with a triple to the centerfield wall. With one out, Allman hit the next two batters to load the bases. Fitzgerald came in to relieve Allman and got Middleton to fly out to the right fielder Marical, but all the runners advanced on the sac fly. Still bases loaded, Ciolli popped up to Argeras to end the inning. After three complete, the games was tied at one-all.
After the first two batters struck out, Ruthrauff doubled to right center. Bledsoe then singled up the middle, allowing Ruthrauff to come around from second to break the tie. Heading into the sixth, Notre Dame held a 2-1 advantage.
Argeras walked to lead off the sixth and with two out Sandoval reached on an infield single, but the Red Storm were unable to capitalize.
Sherlock had both of the Red Storms RBI on the day, with Argeras reaching base five times in the doubleheader. Allman pitched 3 1/3 innings, giving up one earned run on three hits. Fitzgerald went 2 2/3 allowing one run on two hits, striking out two and walking none. Carrie Wisen earned the win for the Irish with no runs allowed.
The Red Storm return to action on Sunday with a doubleheader at Syracuse slated for noon.
