ALLENTOWN, PA - College of Notre Dame earned a split at Cedar Crest Saturday afternoon in Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) softball action. The Gators scored a program record 14 runs in their game one 14-11 victory, but fell to the Falcons by a 13-4 score in game two. Notre Dame goes to 1-3 overall and in CSAC play while Cedar Crest moves to 6-10 and 1-3, respectively.
The Gators got off to a fast start in the opening game, scoring five runs in the top of the first inning, highlighted by a RBI triple off the bat of junior Ashley Taylor (Edgewood, MD/Harford Tech.). Taylor extended Notre Dame's lead to 6-0 with an RBI single, scoring senior Whitley Noel (Red Lion, PA/Red Lion Area). Cedar Crest scored once in the bottom of the second, but Notre Dame followed with two more runs in the top of the fourth to push the score to 8-1.
The Falcons roared back and scored six runs in the bottom of the fourth and one more in the bottom of the fifth to knot the game at eight. Notre Dame took the lead back briefly in the top of the sixth, scoring once, but Cedar Crest earned its first lead of the game after a two-run bottom of the sixth.
Down 10-9, the Gators rallied with a five run top of the ninth inning, charged by two-run single's from sophomore catcher Katie Murphy (Baltimore, MD/Baltimore Poly) and freshman infielder Cara Corsaro (Manchester, MD/North Carroll). The Falcons got one run back with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but Gator freshman pitcher Kirsten Smulovitz (Fallston, MD/Towson Catholic) was able to get the final out with a runner on second to finish the complete game victory in the circle. Smulovitz finished with two strikeouts en route to earning her first career victory.
Noel scored four times with two hits, while junior Cherish Deaver (Fallston, MD/Fallston) finished the first game going 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Murphy and Corsaro each posted three hits while Taylor was 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored.
Notre Dame again jumped out to an early lead in the second game, going ahead 2-0 Deaver's first home run of the year, scoring Noel who had reached on a single. Cedar Crest came back with four runs in the bottom of the first and seven more scores in the second inning to go ahead 11-2.
After Cedar Crest scored twice more in the third, the Gators were able to tack on two runs on a Falcons error. But Notre Dame couldn't rally enough, as Cedar Crest cruised to the 13-4 five-inning victory.
The game one win is just the second win all-time for Notre Dame, who finished its first varsity season with a 1-23 overall record and a 1-21 mark in CSAC play in 2009. Last season, the Gators fell to the Falcons by scores of 11-0 and 15-0.
Notre Dame will return to action on Friday with a 3:30 doubleheader at local rival Gallaudet.
