5.4.11 SOFTBALL: Notre Dame Edges Cavs 5-4 in AMC Tourney Opener

Softball, 2011-05-04

(South Euclid, OH) Mallory Harder's one-out double in the bottom of the seventh inning snapped a 4-4 tie and gave top seeded Notre Dame College (20-19) a 5-4 over fourth seeded Walsh (18-16) in the first round of the American Mideast Conference Tournament. The loss drops the Cavs into the loser's bracket, where they play third seeded Cedarville University (31-18) at 6 pm tonight.

Walsh erased Notre Dame's 1-0 lead with a three-run third inning. After Maggie Yavorsky (Jr., Norton, OH/HS) and Dana Brown (So., Uniontown, OH/Lake) opened the inning with back-to-back singles, Jenna Rosso (Jr., Amherst, OH/Steele) walked to load the bases. Erica Kreiling (So., Massillon, OH/Perry) then singled to right-center, scoring Yavorsky and Brown to give the Cavs a 2-1 lead. Walsh added a third run when Rosso scored on the back-end of a double steal. Walsh's Kelsey Ford shut the Falcons down until they erupted for three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 4-3 lead.

Walsh answered in the seventh, and tied the game on a Kayla Marcus (Fr., Bergholz, OH/Edison) one-out single up the middle. Walsh would load the bases, but would fail to break the tie. A hit batsman and walk opened the seventh for Notre Dame. Harder's double to right then gave Notre Dame the win. Ford took the loss for the Cavs, falling to 7-5. She fanned five and allowed only five hits and three earned runs.

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