ROSEMONT, PA - The College of Notre Dame softball team earned its first win in program history Wednesday afternoon at Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) opponent Rosemont. The Gators won the front end of Wednesday's doubleheader by a 5-0 score before falling 13-5 in game two. Notre Dame now stands at 1-17 overall and 1-15 in CSAC play while Rosemont moves to 1-20 and 1-15, respectively.
Notre Dame senior pitcher Katryn Ellis (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook) led the Gators to their first victory by tossing a complete-game shut out in the opener,. Ellis allowed just four hits while striking out five in her seven innings of work in the circle.
The Gators got on board in game one when Ellis led off the bottom of the first with a single. Ellis then stole second and advanced to third base on a passed ball. Ellis crossed the plate with two outs on a Rosemont wild pitch to give Notre Dame the early 1-0 lead.
Notre Dame then tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the second inning. Senior Amanda Mitzman (Hanover, MD/Meade) led off the inning with a double and advanced to third base on another wild pitch. Teammate Jess Godack (Middle River, MD/Kenwood) then walked and stole second with one out. Alysa Younger (Marbury, MD/Henry E. Lackey) then reached on an error, scoring Mitzman. With two outs, Ellis also reached on a Rosemont error which plated two more Gator runs. The Gators tacked on another run in the sixth on an RBI single off the bat of Younger which scored Mitzman, who led off the inning with a single.
In total, Rosemont committed four errors with three wild pitches and two passed balls in game one. All but one run Rambler pitching allowed in the game was earned.
The Gators momentum carried into game two, as the squad plated two runs in the first inning of the night cap. Freshman Gabrielle Anderson (Baltimore/Baltimore City) drove in Ellis with an RBI single and later scored on a passed ball. Rosemont's bats woke up in the top of the second, as the Ramblers responded with four runs to take a 4-2 lead.
Rosemont's lead would be short-lived as Notre Dame would come back with two runs in the bottom of the third. Both runs were scored off of Rosemont wild pitches.
Both teams would plate a run in the fifth inning. However, Rosemont exploded with eight runs in the top of the sixth to earn the 13-5 win in six innings.
Caitlin Mazzoni earned the win in relief for the Ramblers and gave up just one run in three and two-thirds innings pitched. Ellis would up with the loss for the Gators in the night cap.
Notre Dame will close out the season this weekend with three away CSAC doubleheaders. The Gators will next play at Cabrini on Friday at 4 p.m. before traveling to Baptist Bible on Saturday and Gwynedd-Mercy on Sunday.
